aybreak

July-Sept/1978

Eternity

Third Sabbath

Sixth Sabbath

Ninth Sabbath

T o

First Sabbath

Second Sabbath

Fourth Sabbath

Seventh Sabbath

Tenth Sabbath

Fifth Sabbath

Eighth Sabbath

Eleventh Sabbath

Twelfth Sabbath

Thirteenth Sabbath

Thirteenth Sabbath calls for an especially

generous gift. Look at the back cover map and see

the special needs Thirteenth Sabbath's

offering will go to meet. These projects depend on

a larger offering and that depends on you.

General Conference of

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS

Afro-Mideast Division

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BEIRUT. LEBANON

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TELEPHONE, EEOESS. E64358

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CABLES: ADVENTIST-BEIRUT

Dear Sabbath School Member:

How I wish you could come with me this Sabbath to worship in the crowded

chapel of the Middle East College in Beirut. After participating in the

lively Sabbath School exercises and joining in the spirited discussions

in the classes we would stroll across the campus to visit some of the

dormitory rooms. Here you will meet and speak to Bereket from Ethiopia,

Wavomba from Kenya, Mugerwa from Uganda, Yousefi of Iran, Habib who comes

from ancient Egypt and Sabah whose home Baghdad is near the Bible city of

Babylon.

These are representative of the 30 nations and language groups who enjoy

the simple but adequate amenities of the men's dormitory because of the

generosity of your Sabbath School offerings in 1976. Each student would

greet you warmly in an appreciative hand clasp with sincere words which

would assure you that your investment was one which will give you satis-

faction for time and eternity.

If we could speed south 2,500 miles to a beautiful hill on the side of

Lake Victoria, we would be welcomed by the beaming smile of Mr Don Swan,

the charming and enthusiastic manager of the Africa Herald Publishing

House. With a sense of pride he will escort you through the spotlessly

clean and efficient plant to the new offset printing machine which is busy

churning out literature in 16 languages as a result of your offering in

1976. He would relate the thrilling story of the miraculous and provi-

dential experiences he went through in obtaining the very best machine at

a fraction of its market value - God has multiplied your gift in a spec-

tacular way. Together you will breathe a prayer that those thousands of

pages which are speeding through the Heidelberg machine will reach their

heaven ordained destination.

This quarter your offerings and gifts will be helping three very promis-

ing new projects.

The expansion of the Parane School, beautifully situated in the

highlands of Tanzania. New classrooms and equipment will enrich

the lives of potential workers in this rapidly expanding field.

New schools will be opened along the banks of the Nile to provide

Seventh-day Adventist Education for the children of members in

this land which has experienced so many spectacular miracles.

In Ethiopia where our membership is doubling every few years,

the need adequately to house the new congregations, ministers

and schools is way beyond the resources of the membership. You

will help erect simple but representative homes for our district

leaders who sometimes care for twelve or fifteen churches in

areas where baptisms are conducted any day of the week to meet

the demands of the expanding work.

We appreciate the prayers and the sharing of means which the Sabbath School

affords.

God bless you each in these exciting days as you share with us in the spirit-

ual harvesting in which we are engaged.

Yours sincerely,

C D Watson, President

Afro-Mideast Division

1 --ASSL-43-78

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Brought to you by Pacific Press

COUNSELS TO

PARENTS,

TEACHERS, AND

STUDENTS

Ellen G. White.

Counsel on con-

ducting a school,

with special

attention on sub-

ject matter,

discipline, and

objectives to be

emphasized.

COUNSELS ON

EDUCATION

Ellen G. White.

Major articles in

TESTIMONIES

FOR THE

CHURCH relat-

ing to the

church educa-

tional program

have been

assembled and

issued as a

single book.

EDUCATION

Ellen G. White.

This handbook

has been praised

by critics as one

of the most

beautiful and

significant

contributions to

true education in

all modern litera-

ture.

FUNDAMENTALS

OF CHRISTIAN

EDUCATION

Ellen G. White.

A chronological

arrangement of

counsels on

education and

the fundamental

principles on

which Seventh-

day Adventist

schools are to be

maintained.

Available at your local A

DAYBREAK a

lkh



SERIES

Adult Sabbath School Lessons/No. 333/July-September, 1978

Contris

1. The School in a Garden

2. The Family—An Educational Center

3. God's Command: Religious Education

4. Responding to God's Gift

5. The Schools of the Prophets

6. Food for Thought

7. The Sabbath and Education

8. Education—A Total Experience

The Teacher Sent From God—Objectives

10.

The Teacher Sent From God—Methods

11.

The Teacher Sent From God—Results

12.

The Holy Spirit as an Educator

13.

Evaluation in the Testing Time

14.

Forever Improving

The Adult Sabbath School Lessons are prepared by the Sabbath School Department

of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The preparation of the lessons

is directed by a worldwide Sabbath School Lesson Committee, the members of which

serve as consulting editors.

Editorial Office: 6840 Eastern Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20012

Lesson Author: Charles R. Taylor

Editor: W. Richard Lesher

Editorial Secretary: Florence L. Wetmore

Circulation Manager: Arthur R. Mazat

Art and Design: Pacific Press

Scripture references other than from the King James Version quoted by permission in this quarterly are as

follows:

Berkeley. From The

Modern Language Bible—The New Berkeley Version in Modern English,

1959, and 1969 by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Used by permission.

Phillips. From

The New Testament in Modern English,

J. B. Phillips. Used by permission of The Macmillan Company and Collins Publishers.

RSV. From the

Revised Standard Version Bible,

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by

permission.

TEV. From the

Good News in Today's English Version.

Braille lessons available. See page 120.

Adult Sabbath School Lessons (standard edition). Published quarterly by Pacific

Press Publishing Association, 1350 Villa Street, Mountain View, California 94042,

U.S.A. One year subscription in U.S.A., $1.80; single copy, 45 cents. One year sub-

scription to countries outside U.S.A., $2.40; single copy, 60 cents. All prices at U.S.A.

exchange. Second-class postage paid at Mountain View, California 94042, U.S.A.

When a change of address is desired, please send both old and new addresses.

Having a

power shortage.

Plug into real power—God's Word.

Only as we have a living connection with God

will we be able to remain calm and stable in

these days of perplexity and confusion.

A daily study of His Word will keep the power

flowing.

EDUCATION FOR ETERNITY

Introduction

The year 1978 has been designated Education Year in the Seventh-day Adventist

Church. These lessons have been prepared to harmonize with this important theme.

Most Sabbath School members who study these lessons will not be engaged in a

formal course of study in a school. But school is only one kind of education. There are

others. Ellen White has pointed out to us that "our ideas of education take too narrow

and too low a range.... It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of

existence possible to

man."—Education,

p. 13. The church, the home, the job, the

social life, as well as the school, are educational agencies. All of life is an educational

process. This broad view of education is the subject of these 14 lessons.

This broad Christian education is the way in which God changes human nature and

makes it Christlike. God enables a person to enter once more into the happy, fruitful

relationship that was interrupted by sin. Every man, woman, and child, regardless of

age or marital status, should be a learner in the school of Christ.

God intends that every Christian shall be not only a learner but also a teacher in the

educational process of redemption. "Go . . . teach all nations" is a command that

might have been performed long ago by angels from heaven. But God in His infinite

wisdom chose to make human beings the transmitters of His transforming message

because in teaching others we are benefited ourselves.

Parents are teachers who learn as they teach. "The restoration and uplifting of

humanity begins in the home."—The

Ministry of Healing,

p. 349. Those who take

upon themselves the responsibility for bringing a new life into the world also acquire

the responsibility of feeding, clothing, and educating for God the child they have

engendered. Young people who contemplate marriage and establishment of a new

home should be conscious of this element in their planning for the future.

Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John

12:32). Christ is the center of Christian education. Beholding Him, looking to Him, the

beholder may be changed into His likeness.

The lessons this quarter trace God's educational effort from the first school He

established in the garden down through the Bible record of world history and into the

school of the hereafter. The thrilling opportunities in the world to come, the chance to

explore every avenue of interest without limitation of time or resources, should

inspire us to allow the Lord to prepare us for admission to that school. We might have

been there long ago were we not such slow learners in the classroom here below—so

slow in applying to our teaching and witnessing the principles exemplified in the

work of the Master Teacher. Let us look more closely to Him!

Christian education, as taught and practiced in varying degrees of perfection by

Seventh-day Adventists, is derived from biblical injunctions and examples contained

in these lessons. The light of Holy Scripture is cast into a broad spectrum of applica-

tion through the prism of Ellen White's book

Education

and other books and compila-

tions accepted as divinely inspired for our time.

One may recognize in these writings principles previously advocated by other great

educators. Comenius stressed character education and visual stimulation. Pes-

talozzi stressed the educational importance of early childhood. Thoreau, a contem-

porary of Ellen White, postulated in

Walden

that students would appreciate their

schools more if they constructed the buildings with their own hands. Oberlin College

pioneered the implementation of a work-study program in contemporary America.

The very first chapter of the book

Education

acknowledges a Source behind all

"sources" of thought about education. "As the moon and the stars [planets] of our

solar system shine by the reflected light of the sun, so, as far as their teaching is true,

do the world's great thinkers reflect the rays of the Sun of Righteousness."—Page 14.

So wherever you are in the school of life, join with your fellow Sabbath School

members in a study of Education for Eternity.

"The Lord God planted a garden

eastward in Eden; and there he put the

man whom he had formed" (Gen.

2:8).

The love of nature and natural

beauty finds expression in manyways,

even in an industrialized,

computerized, technological society.

Often we see reflected the deep

attachment for the Creator's

handiwork that is innate in the human

race. For example, the window box full

of flowers in the inner city or in the

condominium apartment, the vacation

in a national park, the goldfish amid

the bubbles under artificial light. Or

the thrilling view from the

mountaintop after the long climb or

the ride in the cable car, and today's

clamor against pollution of the

environment.

The razzle-dazzle, pill-popping,

rushed and complicated existence of

cosmopolitan life today in many

countries places a strain on the human

nervous system. And social conditions

tend to be reflected in the schools.

Children are exposed to an

increasingly violent and corrupt

world. Tensions of various kinds are

reflected in the large number of young

children needing psychiatric care.

How refreshing it is to return to the

simplicity and beauty of God's original

plan for the development of the

human mind and body.

"The system of education instituted

at the beginning of the world was to be

a model for man throughout all

aftertime. As an illustration of its

principles a model school was

established in Eden, the home of our

first parents. The Garden of Eden was

the schoolroom, nature was the lesson

book, the Creator Himself was the

instructor, and the parents of the

human family were the

students."—Education, p. 20.

Rest your eyes, then, on the lovely

paintings with which you can adorn

the walls ofyour mind as you pursue

the study of this week's lesson.

Imagine the sunset glow of evenings

when God chose to walk with man and

be his teacher, the brilliant colors of

the flowers, the restful peace of

flowing streams in the shade of

spreading trees. And when Sabbath

comes, may the presence of the divine

Teacher surround the figure of His

human representative. May the

Sabbath School class become,

through your participation, an

educational experience such as the

first man and woman enjoyed so long

ago.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

The Environment

(Gen. 2:8)

The Teacher

(Gen. 2:19; 3:8)

The Subject Matter

(Gen. 2:19, 20)

Social Development

(Gen. 2:18-22)

Character Development

(Gen. 2:9, 16, 17)

Productive Activity

(Gen. 2:15)

LESSON 1 June 25 to July 1

1.1he School in

a Garden



The School in



a Garden

LESSON 1



❑

Sunday

June 25



Pad 1



"The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden: and



THE



there he put the man whom he had formed" (Gen. 2:8).

ENVIRONMENT

With what environment did God surround man in the sinless

beginning of this world?

" 'The

Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and

there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the

ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to

the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of

the garden.' Genesis 2:8, 9. Here, amidst the beautiful scenes of

nature untouched by sin, our first parents were to receive their

education."—Education, pp. 20, 21.

Moses, Elijah, Jesus, John the Baptist, and Paul all retired to

the solitude of nature in search of communion with God and

inspiration for their work for Him. In some cases God's servants

were driven to quiet places by persecution or the consequences

of their own mistakes, but God used these circumstances to

speak with His "still, small voice."

Notice God's plan, even before sin entered, for man's de-

velopment as human population spread across the earth:

"The Garden of Eden was a representation of what God de-

sired the whole earth to become, and it was His purpose that, as

the human family increased in numbers, they should establish

other homes and schools like the one He had given. Thus in

course of time the whole earth might be occupied with homes

and schools where the words and the works of God should be

studied, and where the students should thus be fitted more and

more fully to reflect, throughout endless ages, the light of the

knowledge of His

glory."—Education,

p. 22.



THINK IT THROUGH



What does nature say when she speaks to me?

"To him who in the love of Nature holds

Communion with her visible forms, she speaks

A various language: for his gayer hours

She has a voice of gladness, and a smile

And eloquence of beauty, and she glides

Into his darker musings, with a mild

And healing sympathy that steals away

Their sharpness ere he is aware."

—William Cullen Bryant.

"The poet and the naturalist have many things to say about

nature, but it is the Christian who enjoys the beauty of the earth

with the highest appreciation, because he recognizes his Fa-

ther's handiwork and perceives His love in flower and shrub and

tree. No one can fully appreciate the significance of hill and

vale, river and sea, who does not look upon them as an expres-

sion of God's love to

man."--Steps to Christ,

p. 87.



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 20-22.

The School in a Garden

LESSON 1



❑

Monday

June 26

Part 2



Who directed the learning experiences of Adam and Eve in

THE TEACHER the garden?

"Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the

field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to

see what he would call them" (Gen. 2:19).

"They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the gar-

den in the cool of the day" (Gen. 3:8, RSV).

Out of His special regard for His children, our heavenly Father

personally directed the education of Adam and Eve. "Often they

were visited by His messengers, the holy angels, and from them

received counsel and instruction. Often as they walked in the

garden in the cool of the day they heard the voice of God, and

face to face held communion with the Eternal. His thoughts

toward them were 'thoughts of peace, and not of evil.' Jeremiah

29:11. His every purpose was their highest good."—Education,

p. 21.

What has God stood ready to do for His people even after sin

came into the world? Isa. 30:20, 21; Ps. 32:8.

THINK IT THROUGH

For a whole quarter, in 1976, the world Sabbath School

studied, under the topic "God Is Not Silent," the ways in which

God seeks to communicate with man. When a message is of

life-and-death importance, it may be sent through several

channels in the hope that the message may be received through

one of them. This is what God has done through nature, through

His Son, through the Bible, through angels, through human

witnesses, and through the spirit of prophecy.

When will God's plan again encompass face-to-face rela-

tionship with human beings? Rev. 21:3;

22:3, 4.

"The world has had its great teachers, men of giant intellect

and extensive research, men whose utterances have stimulated

thought and opened to view vast fields of knowledge; and these

men have been honored as guides and benefactors of their

race; but there is One who stands higher than they. We can trace

the line of the world's teachers as far back as human records

extend; but the Light was before them. As the moon and the

stars of our solar system shine by the reflected light of the sun,

so, as far as their teaching is true, do the world's great thinkers

reflect the rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Every gleam of

thought, every flash of the intellect, is from the Light of the

world."—Education,

pp. 13, 14.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 99-101.



The School in



a Garden

LESSON 1



❑

Tuesday

June 27



Part 3



"Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the

THE SUBJECT field, and every fowl of the air: and brought them unto Adam to

MATTER see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called

every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam

gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every

beast of the field" (Gen. 2:19, 20).

The information the Bible provides regarding Creation Week

and the first thousand years of human existence is very sketchy,

but it is enough to let us understand that God put man in touch

with the world of nature. Assigning names to living things is

even today an intellectual challenge. It requires an understand-

ing of many factors that serve as the basis for classification.

There are broad categories such as phylum, division, class, and

order, and more narrow categories such as family, genus,

species, and variety. The names given by Adam were not the

scientific names used in textbooks today, but no doubt revealed

a keen observation of nature.

"Nature was the lesson book," says Ellen White quoted in the

introduction to this week's lesson. "The book of nature, which

spread its living lessons before them, afforded an exhaustless

source of instruction and delight. On every leaf of the forest and

stone of the mountains, in every shining star, in earth and sea

and sky, God's name was written. With both the animate and the

inanimate creation—with leaf and flower and tree, and with

every living creature, from the leviathan of the waters to the

mote in the sunbeam—the dwellers in Eden held converse,

gathering from each the secrets of its life. God's glory in the

heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly revolutions,

'the balancings of the clouds' (Job 37:16), the mysteries of light

and sound, of day and night—all were objects of study by the

pupils of earth's first school.

"The laws and operations of nature, and the great principles

of truth that govern the spiritual universe, were opened to their

minds by the infinite Author of all. In 'the light of the knowledge

of the glory of God' (2 Corinthians 4:6), their mental and

spiritual powers developed, and they realized the highest plea-

sures of their holy

existence."—Education,

pp. 21, 22.



THINK IT THROUGH



Prepare to participate in a thoughtful class discussion of

some of the implications of this week's lesson for Christian

homes today and for the education of Christians and their

children in the things of God.



FURTHER STUDY



Child Guidance,

pp. 144-147.

The School in a Garden

LESSON 1



❑

Wednesday

June 28

Part 4



"The Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be

SOCIAL alone; I will make him an help meet for him.... And the Lord

DEVELOPMENT caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he

took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he

a woman, and brought her unto the man" (Gen. 2:18-22).

Loneliness is not a part of God's recommended way of life for

men and women. It may be a necessary consequence of stand-

ing for the right in a world of sin. It may be one of the prices that

people pay when they accept responsibilities of leadership or

command. To Joshua God said, "As I was with Moses, so I will

be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Joshua 1:5).

To His people God said through Isaiah (43:2, 5): "When thou

passest through the waters, I will be with thee." "Fear not: for I

am with thee." Esther and Daniel stood alone, at times, except

for the company of God and His angels.

But even when God's presence was in the Garden of Eden, He

provided human companionship as an important part of human

development. An only child in a family tends to miss something

that enriches the lives of children in larger families. And schools

do well to emphasize the social graces along with intellectual

and manual skills. One of the advantages of dormitory life is

learning to get along with other young people of varied temper-

aments and backgrounds.

Ellen White has left us the following comment on today's

scripture: "The Eden home of our first parents was prepared for

them by God Himself. When He had furnished it with everything

that man could desire, He said: 'Let Us make man in Our image,

after Our likeness.' . . .

"The Lord was pleased with this last and noblest of all His

creatures, and designed that he should be the perfect inhabi-

tant of a perfect world. But it was not His purpose that man

should live in solitude. He said: 'It is not good that the man

should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.'

"God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided 'an help

meet for him'—a helper corresponding to him—one who was

fitted to be his companion, and who could be one with him in

love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the

side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the

head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to

stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him.

A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was

his second self; showing the close union and the affectionate

attachment that should exist in this relation."—The

Adventist

Home,

p. 25.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 172-174.

The School in a Garden

LESSON 1



❑

Thursday

June 29

Part 5

CHARACTER

DEVELOPMENT

THINK IT THROUGH

What provision did God make for testing the character de-

velopment of the students In the Eden school?

"Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree

that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life

also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of

good and evil."

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every

tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the

day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:9,

16, 17).

Adam and Eve, though created innocent and holy, were not

placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them

free to choose, capable of appreciating the wisdom and benevo-

lence of His character and the justice of His requirements, with

full liberty to yield or to withhold obedience.

"At the very beginning of man's existence a check was placed

upon the desire for self-indulgence, the fatal passion that lay at

the foundation of Satan's fall. The tree of knowledge, which

stood near the tree of life in the midst of the garden, was to be a

test of the obedience, faith, and love of our first parents. While

permitted to eat freely of every other tree, they were forbidden to

taste of this, on pain of death. They were also to be exposed to

the temptations of Satan; but if they endured the trial, they

would finally be placed beyond his power, to enjoy perpetual

favor with

God."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 48, 49.

"Character building is the most important work ever en-

trusted to human beings; and never before was its diligent study

so important as

now."—Education,

p. 225.

Examine the pages on which the following quotations appear

to see if you may find gems of your own for sharing with others

in class discussion:

"Whatever promotes physical health, promotes the develop-

ment of a strong mind and a well-balanced character."—

Education,

p. 195.

"Instead of educated weaklings, institutions of learning may

send forth men strong to think and to act, men who are masters

and not slaves of circumstances, men who possess breadth of

mind, clearness of thought, and the courage of their

convictions."—Education, p. 18.

"Save the strength of the will; in the battle of life it will be

needed."—Education,

p. 289.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 225-229.

The School in a Garden

LESSON 1



❑

Friday

June 30

Part 6



"The Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of

PRODUCTIVE Eden to dress it and to keep it" (Gen. 2:15).

ACTIVITY

It appears to have been part of God's plan that useful manual

labor should contribute to the balanced education offered in

Eden's model school.

"To Adam and Eve was committed the care of the garden, 'to

dress it and to keep it.' Genesis 2:15. Though rich in all that the

Owner of the universe could supply, they were not to be idle.

Useful occupation was appointed them as a blessing, to

strengthen the body, to expand the mind, and to develop the

character."—Education, p. 21.

Through the week we have seen a balanced combination of

activities in the life of man as he came from the Creator's hand.

This has included communion with God, intellectual probing of

the natural world, social development in sharing life with a

human companion. It has also included character development

through useful, productive manual labor.

This balance requires conscious effort on the part of outdoor

people to cultivate the intellectual and the spiritual. And it re-

quires a special effort on the part of sedentary workers and

brain workers to foster the physical exercise necessary for the

maintaining of health. Although sports can furnish some vigor-

ous exercise, there is an additional dimension of satisfaction

and creativity in productive manual work in the out-of-doors.

Many church members could benefit from the same counsel

given to ministers through God's messenger:

"If all our workers were so situated that they could spend a

few hours each day in outdoor labor, and felt free to do this, it

would be a blessing to them. . . .

"Some of our ministers feel that they must every day perform

some labor that they can report to the conference. And as the

result of trying to do this, their efforts are too often weak and

inefficient. They should have periods of rest, of entire freedom

from taxing labor. But these cannot take the place of daily

physical exercise.

"Brethren, when you take time to cultivate your garden, thus

gaining the exercise needed to keep the system in good work-

ing order, you are just as much doing the work of God as in

holding meetings."—Gospel

Workers,

p. 240.

To the teachers in our early schools similar words of counsel

were given, no doubt for their own good as much as for the

learning experience furnished to students:

"Several hours each day should be devoted to working with

the students in some line of manual training."—Counsels

Teachers,

p. 211.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 49-51.

LESSON 2 July 2-8

2.1he Family An

Educational enter

"For I know him, that he will

command his children and his

household after him, and they shall

keep the way of the Lord, to do justice

and judgment; that the Lord may bring

upon Abraham that which he hath

spoken of him" (Gen. 18:19).

Someone has said that the sweetest

sound in your native language is your

name. Especially is this true when the

name is spoken tenderly, in a time of

stress or pain or desolation, by the

person who gave you the name before

you could understand it or pronounce

it. Perhaps the surname has come

down through many generations with

a proud tradition that is linked to

famous people in your country's

history. Perhaps the first or given

names perpetuate the memory of a

grandfather or an aunt or your

mother's maiden name. In some

countries the use of two surnames, the

father's and the mother's, is the legal

mark of legitimacy of birth. In others,

the wife's maiden name is joined by a

hyphen to her husband's surname,

thus showing her relationship to him

and her status as a married woman.

The perpetuation of a name reflects

the perpetuation not only of biological

characteristics, but also of ideals and

aspirations and traditions. A famous

anthropologist has pointed out that in

many primitive cultures the

grandparents are the educators of the

little children. Weakened by age, they

can no longer carry the burden of

active physical labor, now transferred

to younger shoulders. But the wisdom

they have accumulated throughout a

lifetime especially qualifies them to

pass on to their grandchildren's

impressible minds the traditions of the

tribe, the rich meaning of the family

name.

"The system of education

established in Eden centered in the

family. Adam was 'the son of God'

(Luke 3:38), and it was from their

Father that the children of the Highest

received instruction. Theirs, in the

truest sense, was a family school.

"In the divine plan of education as

adapted to man's condition after the

Fall, Christ . .. is thereat teacher of

mankind. And He ordained that men

and women should be His

representatives. The family was the

school, and the parents were the

teachers."—Education, p. 33.

This week's lesson traces through

the homes of Abraham, Jacob,

Jochebed, Hannah, Daniel's parents,

Mary, and Elisabeth. These were the

homes that produced these children:

Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, Daniel,

Jesus, and John the Baptist. In critical

times, down through history, God

depended on homes such as these to

produce the people to match the

challenge of the times. What about the

times we live in today?

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Abraham and Isaac

(Gen. 12:8)

Jacob and Joseph

(Gen. 37:2-4)

Jochebed and Moses

(Heb. 11:23-27)

Hannah and Samuel

(1 Sam. 1:27, 28)

Daniel's Home

(Dan. 1:3, 4, 8)

Mary and Elisabeth, Jesus and John

(Luke 2:39-41, 52)



The Family-An



Educational Center

LESSON 2



❑

Sunday

July 2



Part 1



"He removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of



ABRAHAM



Bethel, and pitched his tent ... : and there he builded an altar

AND ISAAC unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord" (Gen.

12:8).

The first notable example of parental instruction and its re-

sults is found in the life of Abram, who erected an altar to the

Lord wherever he pitched his tent (see also Gen. 13:18 and PP

128). The key text for the week was spoken by God referring to

Abraham: "I know him, that he will command his children and

his household after him."

The fellowship of father and son in worshiping God is evident:

"I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to

you" (Gen. 22:5).

Apparently Abraham's devotional habits were effectively

transmitted to Isaac. On the eve of his wedding to Rebecca we

find Isaac in a unique setting for his evening worship: "Isaac

went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up

his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming" (Gen.

24:63). No doubt while he was praying, the answer was on the

way!

"Like the patriarchs of old, those who profess to love God

should erect an altar to the Lord wherever they pitch their tent. If

ever there was a time when every house should be a house of

prayer, it is now. Fathers and mothers should often lift up their

hearts to God in humble supplication for themselves and their

children. Let the father, as priest of the household, lay upon the

altar of God the morning and evening sacrifice, while the wife

and children unite in prayer and praise. In such a household

Jesus will love to

tarry."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 144.

"Not until parents themselves walk in the law of the Lord with

perfect hearts will they be prepared to command their children

after them. A reformation in this respect is needed—a reforma-

tion which shall be deep and broad. Parents need to reform;

ministers need to reform; they need God in their households. If

they would see a different state of things, they must bring His

word into their families and must make it their counselor. They

must teach their children that it is the voice of Godaddressed to

them, and is to be implicitly obeyed. They should patiently

instruct their children, kindly and untiringly teach them how to

live in order to please God. The children of such a household are

prepared to meet the sophistries of infidelity. They have ac-

cepted the Bible as the basis of their faith, and they have a

foundation that cannot be swept away by the incoming tide of

skepticism."—Patriarchs

and Prophets,

p. 143.



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 141-144, 152.

The Family-An Educational Center

LESSON 2



❑

Monday

July 3



Part 2



"Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock



JACOB AND



with his brethren.... Now Israel loved Joseph more than all



JOSEPH



his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he

made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw

that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they

hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him" (Gen.

37:2-4).

THINK IT THROUGH

This second notable home in Bible history reveals problems

that resulted from the seeds of deceit sown early in Jacob's life.

He was himself deceived, and his children's loyalties were di-

vided among four mothers. In addition to this, Jacob made a

mistake in showing favoritism to Joseph. At seventeen, Joseph

was a spoiled child. But there was a basic solid foundation

which God used to good purpose, not only for Joseph, but for

His plan to save the human race! Watch for the drama in this

scene!

"As the caravan journeyed southward toward the borders of

Canaan, the boy could discern in the distance the hills among

which lay his father's tents.... What a change in situation—from

the tenderly cherished son to the despised and helpless slave!

"But, in the providence of God, even this experience was to

be a blessing to him. He had learned in a few hours that which

years might not otherwise have taught him.... Faults had been

encouraged that were now to be corrected. He was becoming

self-sufficient and exacting. Accustomed to the tenderness of

his father's care, he felt that he was unprepared to cope with the

difficulties before him, in the bitter, uncared-for life of a

stranger and a slave.

"Then his thoughts turned to his father's God. In his child-

hood he had been taught to love and fear Him. Often in his

father's tent he had listened to the story of the vision that Jacob

saw as he fled from his home an exile and a fugitive. He had

been told of the Lord's promises to Jacob, and how they had

been fulfilled—how, in the hour of need, the angels of God had

come to instruct, comfort, and protect him. And he had learned

of the love of God in providing for men a Redeemer. Now all

these precious lessons came vividly before him. Joseph be-

lieved that the God of his fathers would be his God. He then and

there gave himself fully to the Lord. . . .

"One day's experience had been the turning point in Joseph's

life."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 213, 214.

In what beautiful words did Joseph express the way In

which God had overruled the well-intentioned mistakes of his

early home education? Gen. 45:4-8.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 209-212.

2-AS51-3778



The Family-An



Educational Center

LESSON 2



❑

Tuesday

July 4



Part 3



"By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of



JOCHEBED



his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they



AND MOSES



were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith Moses,

when he was come to years, refused to

called the son of

Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with

the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a

season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than

the treasures in Egypt.... For he endured, as seeing him who

is invisible" (Heb. 11:23-27).

Abraham and Jacob have been cited as examples of godly

fathers whose influence was reflected in the lives of their sons.

Jochebed was a woman of the tribe of Levi, the tribe later to be

charged with the religious instruction of an entire nation. Cer-

tainly she made wonderful use of the short time that was

granted to her for the education of the baby rescued from the

waters of the river Nile (Ex. 2:2-9). Mothers, especially, should

find encouragement in thinking about the content of today's

lesson.

"The whole future life of Moses, the great mission which he

fulfilled as the leader of Israel, testifies to the importance of the

work of the Christian mother. There is no other work that can

equal this. To a very great extent the mother holds in her own

hands the destiny of her children. She is dealing with develop-

ing minds and characters, working not alone for time, but for

eternity. She is sowing seed that will spring up and bear fruit,

either for good or for evil. She has not to paint a form of beauty

upon canvas or to chisel it from marble, but to impress upon a

human soul the image of the divine. Especially during their early

years the responsibility rests upon her of forming the character

of her children. The impressions now made upon their develop-

ing minds will remain with them all through life. . . . They are

placed in our care to be trained, not as heirs to the throne of an

earthly empire, but as kings unto God, to reign through unend-

ing

ages."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 244.

THINK IT THROUGH

"Let every mother feel that her moments are priceless; her

work will be tested in the solemn day of accounts. Then it will be

found that many of the failures and crimes of men and women

have resulted from the ignorance and neglect of those whose

duty it was to guide their childish feet in the right way. Then it

will be found that many who have blessed the world with the

light of genius and truth and holiness, owe the principles that

were the mainspring of their influence and success to a praying,

Christian

mother."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 244.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 242-246.

The Family-An Educational Center

LESSON 2

❑

Wednesday

July 5



Part 4



"For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my



HANNAH



petition which I asked of him: therefore also have I lent him to



AND SAMUEL



the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And

he worshipped the Lord there" (1 Sam. 1:27, 28).

The fourth parent in this week's lesson is Hannah. She was

the one who went to the sanctuary at Shiloh with a heavy burden

on her heart. It was not only the hurt of Peninnah's scorn and

ridicule that weighed on her, but the unfulfilled longing of

having a child to hold in her arms. The round of ceremonies in

the tabernacle, the bright-colored embroidery on the veil, the

precious stones on the vestment of the high priest—none of the

elements of the divine service were sufficient to retain her atten-

tion. "She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord,

and wept sore" (1 Sam. 1:10). Her lips moved, but tier voice was

not heard, and Eli thought that she was under the influence of

alcohol.

The depth and earnestness of her desire, intensified by delay

of fulfillment, made her appreciative of God's gift when at last

her wish was granted and Samuel was born. "He was her only

son, the special gift of heaven; but she had received him as a

treasure consecrated to God, and she would not withhold from

the Giver His

own."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 571. Hannah's

devotion followed Samuel into the years he spent under Eli's

tutelage in the sanctuary, opening and closing the doors,

sweeping, tending the lamps.

"From the earliest dawn of intellect she had taught her son to

love and reverence God and to regard himself as the Lord's. By

every familiar object surrounding him she had sought to lead

his thoughts up to the Creator. When separated from her child,

the faithful mother's solicitude did not cease. Every day he was

the subject of her prayers. Every year she made, with her own

hands, a robe of service for him; and as she went up with her

husband to worship at Shiloh, she gave the child this reminder

of her love. Every fiber of the little garment had been woven with

a prayer that he might be pure, noble, and true. She did not ask

for her son worldly greatness, but she earnestly pleaded that he

might attain that greatness which Heaven values—that he might

honor God and bless his fellow men.

"What a reward was Hannah's! and what an encouragement

to faithfulness is her

example!"—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 572.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 569-574.

The Family-An Educational Center

LESSON 2



❑

Thursday

July 6



Part 5



"The king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs,



DANIEL'S



that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the



HOME



king's seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no

blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom and cun-

ning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as

had ability in them to stand in the king's palace."

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile

himself" (Dan. 1:3, 4, 8).

THINK IT THROUGH

Daniel and his companions were chosen because of qualities

they already had. Only by inference can we paint a picture of

what Daniel's home and home training must have been like.

There is evidence of health ("well favoured"), of intellectual

development ("skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowl-

edge"), and also of social graces and character development

("ability . . . to stand in the king's palace").

Today's lesson deserves special attention from young people

because in universities today they are often thrown into the

company of the future intellectual leaders of their country.

"You should be prepared to follow the example of these noble

youth [Joseph, Daniel, and his fellows]. Never be ashamed of

your colors; put them on, unfurl them to the gaze of men and

angels."—Messages to Young People,

p. 28.

"Dear youth, what is the aim and purpose of your life? Are you

ambitious for education that you may have a name and position

in the world? Have you thoughts that you dare not express, that

you may one day stand upon the summit of intellectual great-

ness; that you may sit in deliberative and legislative councils,

and help to enact laws for the nation? There is nothing wrong in

these aspirations. You may every one of you make your mark....

" ... Take your religion into your school life, into your board-

ing house, into all your pursuits. . . .

"Balanced by religious principle, you may climb to any height

you please."—Messages

to Young People,

pp. 36, 37.

Notice that Daniel did not enter the university of Babylon

because of selfish ambition. He was placed there through cir-

cumstances that God used to further His own purposes.

Daniel's character was the result of faithful early education in

his godly home. And God could use him to penetrate the highest

courts on earth with a message from the King of kings.

"Daniel and his companions had been faithfully instructed in

the principles of the word of

God."—Education,

p. 55.

Are your temperance and health habits producing the kind

of sterling vigor of character and sharp intellectual discern-

ment that honored God and His cause in the experience of

Daniel?

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 54-58.

The Family-An Educational Center

LESSON 2



❑

Friday

July 7



Part 6



Describe the childhood education of Jesus.

MARY AND



ELISABETH,



"When they had performed all things according to the law of



JESUS AND JOHN



the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with

wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Now his parents

went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover."

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour

with God and man" (Luke 2:39-41, 52).

The formative years of the Son of God were spent in a quiet

mountain village. The educational experiences of the annual

feasts in Jerusalem were part of God's plan for the education of

Israel. Jesus' parents obediently followed God's plan in taking

their child to the Passover when He reached the age of twelve. A

' balanced growth of the intellectual and the physical, of the

spiritual and the social—all these are expressed in the three

verses cited above.

The following paragraph by Ellen White gives us a picture of

the family school in Nazareth: "With deep earnestness the

mother of Jesus watched the unfolding of His powers, and

beheld the impress of perfection upon His character. With de-

light she sought to encourage that bright, receptive mind.

Through the Holy Spirit she received wisdom to co-operate with

the heavenly agencies in the development of this child, who

could claim only God as His Father."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 69.

What does the Bible record tell us of divine planning for the

life of Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, and of his parents'

concern for carrying out the divine instructions? Luke 1:13-15,

60, 76-79.

What was the result of their faithfulness? Luke 1:80.

"John was to stand as a reformer. By his abstemious life and

plain dress he was to rebuke the excesses of his time. Hence the

directions given to the parents of John,—a lesson of temper-

ance by an angel from the throne of heaven.

"In childhood and youth the character is most impressible.

The power of self-control should then be acquired. By the

fireside and at the family board influences are exerted whose

results are as enduring as eternity. More than any natural en-

dowment, the habits established in early years decide whether a

man will be victorious or vanquished in the battle of life. Youth is

the sowing time. It determines the character of the harvest, for

this life and for the life to come."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 100,

101.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 68-72.

"Thou shalt teach them diligently

unto thy children, and shalt talk of

them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way,

and when thou liest down, and when

thou risest up" (Deut. 6:7).

Religious education is a biblical

principle that applies not only to

individual parents, but to God's

people as a whole. The key text for this

week's lesson is a part of the second of

Moses' four farewell speeches to his

people, the nation of Israel, God's

chosen people (see verses 1, 3, 4). In

addition to the instruction given by

parents in the family, the teaching

function was committed to the Levites.

Specific reference to this is made in

the times of Josiah (2 Chron. 35:3) and

Nehemiah (Neh. 8:9).

Christian education is naturally,

then, one of the teachings or doctrines

of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

This has led to the establishment of the

largest Protestant parochial school

system in the world. The inspiration

for this major effort and costly

expenditure is found not only in God's

command in Deuteronomy. It is

founded in the detailed counsel and

guidance provided through the Lord's

latter-day messenger in books such as

Education; Counsels to Parents,

Teachers, and Students; The Adventist

Home; Child Guidance; Counsels on

Education;

and

Fundamentals of

Christian Education.

One urgent

appeal is found under the title, "Our

Responsibility":

"Nothing is of greater importance

than the education of our children and

young people. The church should

arouse and manifest a deep interest in

this work; for now, as never before,

Satan and his host are determined to

enlist the youth under the black

banner that leads to ruin and death.

"God has appointed the church as a

watchman, to have a jealous care over

the youth and children, and as a

sentinel to see the approach of the

enemy and give warning of danger.

But the church does not realize the

situation. She is sleeping on guard. In

this time of peril, fathers and mothers

must arouse and work as for life, or

many of the youth will be forever

lost."—Counsels

to Teachers,

p. 165.

The heeding of this counsel requires

our very best effort in making family

worship, the Sabbath School, the

Pathfinder Club, MV camping, youth

congresses, our youth magazines, and

our formal education in the weekday

classroom so attractive and rewarding

that television and corrupting

magazines and books will be ignored

because the "abundant life" has

already satisfied the soul's craving for

fulfillment.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Moses' First Farewell Oration

(Deut. 4:9, 10)

The Command Repeated

(Deut. 6:6-9)

Again Through Solomon

(Prov. 22:6)

MI Thy Children

(lsa. 54:11-13)

An Heritage of the Lord

(Ps. 127:3-5)

Plants and Palaces

(Ps. 144:12)

LESSON 3 July 9-15

3. God's Command:

Religious Education

God's Command: Religious Education

LESSON 3

❑

Sunday

July 9



Part 1



What responsibility did God place upon parents and upon



MOSES' FIRST



Israel as a people?

FAREWELL



ORATION



"Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest

thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest

they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach

them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; specially the day that thou

stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said

unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them

hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that

they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their

children" (Deut. 4:9, 10).

The book of Deuteronomy is composed of four orations given

by Moses to the people of Israel before he climbed the heights of

Mount Nebo. He turned over to Joshua the leadership of the

people with whom he had crossed the Red Sea and spent forty

years in the wilderness. One of his great burdens was that the

lessons of these experiences should not be lost upon the gen-

erations that would follow. Today's text is from the first farewell

oration, which includes Deuteronomy 1:6 to 4:43. "Teach them

thy sons, and thy sons' sons," "that they may teach their

children"—this is God's specific command to Israel regarding

education in the law of God. Application to modern Israel is

made in the following excerpt from

Counsels to Teachers,

page

166:

"Parents and teachers do not estimate the magnitude of the

work given them in training the young. The experience of the

children of Israel was written for us 'upon whom the ends of

the world are come.' 1 Corinthians 10:11. As in their day, so now

the Lord would have the children gathered out from those

schools where worldly influences prevail, and placed in our

own schools, where the word of God is made the foundation of

education.

"If ever we are to work in earnest, it is now. The enemy is

pressing in on all sides, like a flood. Only the power of God can

save our children from being swept away by the tide of evil. The

responsibility resting upon parents, teachers, and church

members, to do their part in co-operation with God, is greater

than words can express."

THINK IT THROUGH

"While we should put forth earnest efforts for the masses of

the people around us, and push the work into foreign fields, no

amount of labor in this line can excuse us for neglecting the

education of our children and youth. They are to be trained to

become workers for

God."—Counsels to Teachers,

p. 165.

FURTHER STUDY



Child Guidance,

pp. 21-25.

God's Command: Religious Education

LESSON 3

❑

Monday

July 10

Part 2



What formal mandate to ancient Israel comes ringing down

THE COMMAND



the centuries and applies to the education of our children for

REPEATED God?

"These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in

thy heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy chil-

dren, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign

upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine

eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house,

and on thy gates" (Deut. 6:6-9).

These memorable words are part of Moses' second great

oration, recorded in Deuteronomy 4:44 to 26:19. There is not

necessarily any reference here to formal education in a class-

room. The context is that of the family home; Moses speaks of

conversation during shared activities, of evening and morning

communion, of visible reminders in prominent locations in the

home. But there is no question as to the responsibility that God

places upon parents for the religious upbringing of their chil-

dren. The final paragraph of the passage referred to in the

introduction to this lesson states: "The Lord would use the

church school as an aid to the parents in educating and prepar-

ing their children for this time before us. Then let the church

take hold of the school work in earnest and make it what the

Lord desires it to

be."—Counsels to Teachers,

p. 167.

In ancient Israel the parents had the main responsibility, but

God also appointed the Levites to be scattered throughout all

the tribes as teachers of the law of God.

"From the earliest times the faithful in Israel had given much

care to the education of the youth. The Lord had directed that

even from babyhood the children should be taught of His good-

ness and His greatness, especially as revealed in His law, and

shown in the history of Israel. Song and prayer and lessons from

the Scriptures were to be adapted to the opening mind. Fathers

and mothers were to instruct their children that the law of God is

an expression of His character, and that as they received the

principles of the law into the heart, the image of God was traced

on mind and soul. Much of the teaching was oral; but the youth

also learned to read the Hebrew writings; and the parchment

rolls of the Old Testament Scriptures were open to their

study."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 69.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 463, 468.

God's Command: Religious Education

LESSON 3

❑

Tuesday

July 11



Part 3



What simple instruction did Solomon give regarding child



AGAIN THROUGH



training?

SOLOMON

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old,

he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6).

God's command to Israel, given through Moses, is repeated

again through these words of Solomon: "Train up a child in the

way he should go."

"This language is positive. The training that Solomon enjoins

is to direct, educate, develop. But in order for parents to do this

work, they must themselves understand the 'way' the child

should go. It is impossible for parents to give their children

proper training unless they first give themselves to God, learn-

ing of the Great Teacher lessons of obedience to His will."—

Counsels to Teachers,

p. 108.

What is the most difficult part of training a child "in the way

he should go"?

"Physical training, the development of the body, is far more

easily given than spiritual training. The nursery, the playground,

the workshop; the sowing of the seed; and the gathering of the

harvest—all these give physical training. Under ordinarily fa-

vorable circumstances a child naturally gains healthful vigor

and proper development of the bodily organs. Yet even in phys-

ical lines the child should be carefully trained.

"Soul culture, which gives purity and elevation to the

thoughts and fragrance to word and act, requires more

painstaking effort. It takes patience to keep every evil motive

weeded from the garden of the heart. The spiritual training

should in no case be neglected; for 'the fear of the Lord is the

beginning of wisdom' Psalm 111:10. By some, education is

placed next to religion, but true education is religion. The Bible

should

the child's first textbook. From this book, parents are

to give wise instruction."—Counsels

to Teachers,

pp. 108, 109.

Sanctification, both for adults and for little children, can be

said to be the work of the Holy Spirit in aiding us to develop a

new set of habits. Someone has said that we are fortunate in that

good habits are just as hard to break as bad habits. This is

probably true of acquired ways of responding to situations. But

because of our inherited tendencies to sin (to bad habits), we

contantly need to be dependent on the presence and the ena-

bling grace of Christ to make us "more than conquerors

through him who loved us."



FURTHER STUDY



Child Guidance,

pp. 193, 194, 202, 203.

God's Command: Religious Education

LESSON 3

❑

Wednesday

July 12



Part 4



"0 thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted,



ALL THY



behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy



CHILDREN



foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of

agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of

pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the

Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children" (Isa.

54:11-13).

To whom are these dramatic, encouraging, poetic words

spoken? The context gives us the clue. Who, although barren

will break forth into singing (verse 1)? Who is to enlarge the

place of her tent, to lengthen her cords and strengthen her

stakes (verse 2)? Who is the forsaken woman (verses 5, 6)? Who

will have mountains of obstacles removed before her (verses 9,

10)? Ancient Israel, of which the antitype is the Christian

church, is beautifully pictured in the whole chapter—her trials

and her triumphs.

Tucked away in verse 13, above, is an expression that has

been a great comfort to Christian parents who are separated

from their children—"All thy children shall be taught of the

Lord." The seal of one of our colleges established in the early

days of the church contains this promise. It is an all-inclusive

statement regarding the education of the children of the

church. The Lord Himself will teach them, according to this

prophecy, and the result will be great peace. The ultimate ful-

fillment of the prophecy, no doubt, refers to conditions in the

earth made new. But it is evident from statements in the writings

of Ellen White that God designs part of the triumph of the

church even here below to be the establishment of church

schools.

"In some countries parents are compelled by law to send their

children to school. In these countries, in localities where there

is a church, schools should be established if there are no more

than six children to attend. Work as if you were working for your

life to save the children from being drowned in the polluting,

corrupting influences of the

world."—Testimonies,

vol. 6,

p. 199.

"Before the overflowing scourge shall come upon the dwell-

ers of the earth, the Lord calls upon all who are Israelites indeed

to prepare for that event. To parents He sends the warning cry:

Gather your children into your own houses; gather them away

from those who are disregarding the commandments of God,

who are teaching and practicing evil. Get out of the large cities

as fast as possible. Establish church schools. Give your children

the word of God as the foundation of all their education."—

Testimonies,

vol. 6, p. 195.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 193-200. •

God's Command: Religious Education

LESSON 3

❑

Thursday

July 13



Part 5



"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the

AN HERITAGE womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty

OF THE LORD man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath

his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they

shall speak with the enemies in the gate"

(Ps. 127:3-5).

The building of a house, rising up early, sitting up late, eating

the bread of sorrows—these are the images in the first part of

this psalm. The writer then approaches, in the second stanza,

the vibrant living element that makes a house a home—the

family, the house full of children. In societies based on agricul-

ture it is perhaps a blessing to have a large family with many

hands to help cultivate and harvest the crops. In an over-

crowded, industrial society, and in developing countries where

the demand for modern conveniences outstrips the supply,

population control is a lively issue. Family planning is debated

in the press, on radio and TV, and on the billboards. Both the

privileges and the responsibilities that parents have when they

bring children into the world are reflected in the inspired coun-

sel sent by God to His church in these latter days:

"Children are the heritage of the Lord, and we are answerable

to Him for our management of His property.... In love, faith, and

prayer let parents work for their households, until with joy they

can come to God saying, 'Behold, I and the children whom the

Lord hath given me.'

"A childless house is a desolate place. The hearts of the

inmates are in danger of becoming selfish, of cherishing a love

for their own ease, and consulting their own desires and con-

veniences. They gather sympathy to themselves, but have little

to bestow upon others."—The

Adventist Home,

p. 159.



THINK IT THROUGH



"Before increasing their family, they [Christians] should take

into consideration whether God would be glorified or dishon-

ored by their bringing children into the world. They should seek

to glorify God by their union from the first, and during every year

of their married life. They should calmly consider what provi-

sion can be made for their children. They have no right to bring

children into the world to be a burden to others. Have they a

business that they can rely upon to sustain a family, so that they

need not become a burden to others? If they have not, they

commit a crime in bringing children into the world to suffer for

want of proper care, food, and clothing."—Messages

to Young

People,

p. 462.



FURTHER STUDY



Child Guidance,

pp. 17-20.

God's Command: Religious Education

LESSON 3



❑

Friday

July 14

Part 6

PLANTS AND

PALACES

Why did the psalmist want an unpolluted environment for

the children of God's people?

"That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;

that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the

similitude of a palace" (Ps. 144:12).

Let us examine the context of this verse. Twice, in verses 7

and 8, and in verse 11, David expresses the desire to be deliv-

ered "from the hand of strange children, whose mouth

speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of false-

hood." The rest of the psalm is joyful praise of the Lord's power

for good and the resulting prosperity of His people.

The "strange children" may refer to David's enemies from

whose sword the Lord delivered him, thus creating a peaceful

condition in which his own children could grow to prosperous

maturity. However, a morally secure environment is important

to spiritual growth. When Jesus wanted to instruct His disciples,

He often retired to a secluded, quiet place, even though He

might be followed eventually by a large crowd to whom He

ministered, as in the case of feeding the five thousand. Most

Seventh-day Adventist boarding schools have been established

initially, by deliberate choice, under the guidance of God, in

country locations, free from the corrupting influences of the

large cities.

"That education alone which brings the student into close

relation with the Great Teacher is true education. The youth are

to be taught to look to Christ as their guide. They are to be

taught lessons of forbearance and trust, of true goodness and

kindness of heart, of perseverance and steadfastness. Their

characters are to answer to the words of David: 'That our sons

may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters

may be as cornerstones, polished after the similitude of a

palace.' Psalm 144:12.

"The converted student has broken the chain which bound

him to the service of sin, and has placed himself in right relation

to God. His name is enrolled in the Lamb's book of life. He is

under solemn obligation to renounce evil and come under the

jurisdiction of heaven. Through earnest prayer he is to cleave to

Christ. To neglect this devotion, to refuse this service, is to

become the sport of Satan's wiles."—Counsels

to Teachers,

p. 496.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 133-139.

LESSON 4 July 16-22

4. Responding to

God's Gift

"I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God, that ye present

your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,

acceptable unto God, which isyour

reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1).

Abraham's gift of his son on Mount

Moriah, in the dawn of written history,

has implications for Christian parents

today. Isaac, the "living sacrifice," is a

symbol of their children.

Two families stood by the departure

ramp at an international airport

watching the son of one and the

daughter of the other board the plane

for a distant mission field. The two

mothers brushed unbidden tears from

their eyes, but listened as one of the

fathers remarked, "Why weep, when

that's what they've dreamed of and

prepared for all their lives?" Before he

was born the son had been asked for

and dedicated to God's service, and

both families had invested a great deal

of money in giving their children a

Christian education.

What appears to be sacrifice to the

onlooker is anything but sacrifice to

the person performing the deed.

Albert Schweitzer chose to leave the

concert halls of Europe and a

prosperous medical practice to serve

the people of Gabon—particularly the

lepers surrounding Lambardnd. That's

what he most wanted to do. Would he

call it a sacrifice? A heart that overflows

with gratitude seeks channels through

which to express the thankfulness it

feels. Love expressed is answered by

love returned, in the language unique

to each individual recipient.

This week's lesson points out that

God gave all heaven in a single gift to

us when He gave His Son, and that one

of the most appropriate responses we

can make is to give our children to be

trained for service in His cause.

God asked Abraham for such a test

of his devotion when he called "Take

now thy son, thine only son Isaac,

whom thou lovest ... and offer him."

It was not Isaac's death that God

desired, but rather the committed life

represented by his willingness to die.

He also desired the father's

willingness to give what he most

treasured and had long waited for.

Isaac became indeed the kind of living

sacrifice that Paul asked the Roman

Christians to become, in whose

footsteps we follow. Abraham and

Isaac returned from Mount Moriah

enriched by a shared experience in

rewarded faith.

"Whatever of ours God claims from

us, He returns again, enriched,

transfigured, with His own glory. The

tithe that He claimed from Israel was

devoted to preserving among men, in

its glorious beauty, the pattern of His

temple in the heavens, the token of

His presence on the earth. So the

portion of our time which He claims is

given again to us, bearing His name

and

seal."—Education,

p. 250.

Those who have given their children

to further the work of the gospel have

experienced this same kind of blessing

that applies to the tithe and the

Sabbath. Their gift gives them a special

kinship with Him who "so loved the

world, that he gave his only begotten

Son, that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish, but have

everlasting life." Not only do they

receive this spiritual blessing, but their

children are a living link with a

community much wider than their

home town. When the children

answer a call to mission service

overseas, they confer upon their

parents the status of citizens of the

world.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

God Gave His Son

(John 3:16)

Abraham Gave His Son

(Gen. 22:2)

A Living Sacrifice

(Rom. 12:1)

The Need for Workers

(Luke 10:1, 2)

Compassion for the Multitudes

(Matt. 9:36)

Following Abraham's Example

(James 2:21-24; Gal. 3:6-9)

Responding to God's Gift

LESSON 4



❑

Sunday

July 16

Part 1

GOD GAVE

HIS SON

What Is the greatest gift ever given by God to man?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten

Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but

have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

The following paragraphs bring out, each in its own way, a

special aspect of the gift God gave. Can you identify each one?

"The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks

into the face of his little child, and trembles at the thought of

life's peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan's power,

to hold him back from temptation and conflict. To meet a bit-

terer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His only-

begotten Son, that the path of life might be made sure for our

little ones. 'Herein is love,' Wonder, 0 heavens! and be as-

tonished, 0 earth!"—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 49.

"It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation

between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely

united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature,

the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never

to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us.

'God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.'

John 3:16. He gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as

our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His

immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Son

to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human

nature."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 25.

"The Lord would be so bountiful to His human family that it

could not be said of Him that He could do more. In the gift of

Jesus, God gave all heaven.... Well may the heavenly host look

with amazement upon the human family who refuse to be up-

lifted and enriched with the boundless love expressed in Christ.

Well may they exclaim, Why this great waste?"—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 565.

How does Paul refer to the gift God made in Christ? 2 Cor.

9:15.

Of what is the gift of Christ an assurance? Rom. 8:32.

"In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole

world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which

circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this

life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of

men and women in Christ

Jesus."—Steps to Christ,

p. 68.

FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"God's Love for Man," pp. 13-15.

Responding to God's Gift

LESSON 4



❑

Monday

July 17



Part 2



What did God ask of Abraham as an expression of his fidel-

ABRAHAM GAVE ity?

HIS SON

"He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou

lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him

there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I

will tell thee of" (Gen. 22:2).

Abraham's gift of his son on Mount Moriah was accepted by

the Father, who had not spared His own Son. God confirmed

with a solemn oath the blessing He had promised to Abraham

when He called him from Haran: "By myself have I sworn, saith

the Lord, for because thou has done this thing, and hast not

withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee,

and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the

heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy

seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall

all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast

obeyed my voice" (verses 16-18).

"Abraham's great act of faith stands like a pillar of light,

illuminating the pathway of God's servants in all succeeding

ages. Abraham did not seek to excuse himself from doing the

will of God. During that three days' journey he had sufficient

time to reason, and to doubt God, if he was disposed to doubt.

He might have reasoned that the slaying of his son would cause

him to be looked upon as a murderer, a second Cain; that it

would cause his teaching to be rejected and despised, and thus

destroy his power to do good to his fellow men. He might have

pleaded that age should excuse him from obedience. But the

patriarch did not take refuge in any of these excuses. Abraham

was human; his passions and attachments were like ours; but

he did not stop to question how the promise could be fulfilled if

Isaac should be slain. He did not stay to reason with his aching

heart. He knew that God is just and righteous in all His require-

ments, and he obeyed the command to the very letter."—

Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 153.

What gift to God was expected in every family In Israel? Ex.

22:29.

"God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save

the sinner. This gift was to be acknowledged in every household

by the consecration of the first-born son. He was to be devoted

to the priesthood, as a representative of Christ among men."—

The Desire of Ages,

p. 51.



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 151-155.

3-ASSL-3-78

Responding to God's Gift

LESSON 4



❑

Tuesday

July 18



Part 3



Following the example of Isaac, who was rescued from the



A LIVING



sacrificial altar by an angel's voice, what should every Chris-



SACRIFICE



tian youth be?

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable

unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1).

Isaac was to have been a burnt offering, slain on the altar. But

the provision of a substitute made him a living sacrifice instead

of a dead sacrifice. This did not make his sacrifice of lesser

importance. Someone has said that it takes more courage to live

for Christ than it does to die for Christ. The courage to face

death is the courage of a moment. The courage to live for Christ

requires a daily sacrifice of self, such as Isaac had already

learned before he went to Mount Moriah.

"It was with terror and amazement that Isaac learned his fate,

but he offered no resistance. He could have escaped his doom,

had he chosen to do so; the grief-stricken old man, exhausted

with the struggle of those three terrible days, could not have

opposed the will of the vigorous youth. But Isaac had been

trained from childhood to ready, trusting obedience, and as the

purpose of God was opened before him, he yielded a willing

submission. He was a sharer in Abraham's faith, and he felt that

he was honored in being called to give his life as an offering to

God. He tenderly seeks to lighten the father's grief, and encour-

ages his nerveless hands to bind the cords that confine him to

the

altar."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 152.

It is clear that the sacrifice made by Abraham was also a

commitment made by the young man Isaac. The call to become

a living sacrifice, made by Paul, is applied by Ellen White to the

youth of today, who are to live pure, clean lives like that of

Daniel. (See

The Adventist Home,

pp. 301, 302.) Not only are

parents called to dedicate their children to God, but the youth

are invited to commit themselves:

"Christ is calling for volunteers to enlist under His standard,

and bear the banner of the cross before the world. The church is

languishing for the help of young men who will bear a coura-

geous testimony, who will with their ardent zeal stir up the slug-

gish energies of God's people, and so increase the power of the

church in the world. Young men are wanted who will resist the

tide of worldliness, and lift a voice of warning against taking the

first steps in immorality and

vice."—Messages to Young People,

pp. 24, 25.



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 5, pp. 541, 542.

Responding to God's Gift

LESSON 4



❑

Wednesday

July 19

Part 4

THE NEED

FOR WORKERS

What did Jesus tell the seventy disciples before sending

them out to prepare the way for His coming?

"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also,

and sent them two and two before his face into every city and

place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto

them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few:

pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send

forth labourers into his harvest" (Luke 10:1, 2).

There is an inescapable relationship between the prayer that

Jesus instructed the seventy to pray and their own participation

in bringing about the answer to that prayer. Praying about the

harvest creates a concern that leads one to commit himself to

being a part of it and helping to bring it in.

The agricultural way of life in Jesus' time was especially apt

for illustrating certain factors in the work of the gospel, more so

than industrial life today. There was an element of timeliness, of

urgency, associated with the ripening of the grain and fruit.

When harvesttime came, the landowner sought by every means

to get sufficient help to finish the harvest before the fruit or the

grain was spoiled. In the parable of the vineyard, even at the

eleventh hour, what we would call five p.m., he was recruiting

harvest hands. He was willing to pay them for a whole day's

work even if they worked only one hour before night came.

"We are nearing the close of earth's history. We have before

us a great work,—the closing work of giving the last warning

message to a sinful world. There are men who will be taken from

the plow, from the vineyard, from various other branches of

work, and sent forth by the Lord to give this message to the

world."—Gospel

Workers,

p. 36.

"We must manifest confidence in our young men. They

should be pioneers in every enterprise involving toil and sac-

rifice, while the overtaxed servants of Christ should be

cherished as counselors, to encourage and bless those who

strike the heaviest blows for God."—Gospel

Workers,

p. 83.

"Young men are wanted. God calls them to missionary fields.

Being comparatively free from care and responsibilities, they

are more favorably situated to engage in the work than are those

who must provide for the training and support of a large family.

Furthermore, young men can more readily adapt themselves to

new climates and new society, and can better endure incon-

veniences and hardships. By tact and perseverance, they can

reach the people where they

are."—Gospel Workers,

p. 84.

FURTHER STUDY



Gospel Workers,

pp. 81-85

(Testimonies,

vol. 5, pp. 390-395).

Responding To God's Gift

LESSON 4



❑

Thursday

July 20



Part 5



How did Jesus feel when He saw and came into contact with



COMPASSION



the needy multitudes of His time?

FOR THE



MULTITUDES



"When he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compas-

sion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered

abroad, as sheep having no shepherd" (Matt. 9:36).

The verse immediately preceding this verse describes Jesus

personally mingling with the people in their villages. The verses

following repeat the appeal to pray for the Lord of harvest to

send forth laborers into His harvest.

Down through history, one of the elements of God's call to a

person to be His mouthpiece in a given period or place was the

bringing of that person into contact with the world's need,

giving him or her a perception of the situation. The realization of

the need became a burden that could not be thrown off without

a commitment to service.

Isaiah saw God's glory in the temple and sensed not only his

own great need but that of his people also: "I dwell in the midst

of a people of unclean lips." His lips were purified by a live coal

from the altar, and then he responded to the call by saying,

"Here am I; send me" (Isa. 6:5-8).

Paul was waiting in Athens for Silas and Timothy. While he

waited, touring the city perhaps, "he was greatly upset when he

noticed how full of idols the city was" (Acts 17:16, TEV).

If you have stood at the top of the World Trade Center in

New York, or the Torre Latinamericana in Mexico City, or a sky-

scraper in one of the other great cities of the world, perhaps you

also have felt something of the same tug at your heartstrings.

Perhaps you have heard a song that echoes the refrain, "Where

do all the lonely people go?" And you ache to reach some way to

the millions who need the peace and the joy that Christian

workers can bring them. You long to be one of those workers, as

a layman or as a denominational employee. And you long to see

your children sharing in the work that has become your very

motive for existence ever since Christ came into your heart.

THINK IT THROUGH

"Let the youth who need an education set to work with a

determination to obtain it. Do not wait for an opening; make one

for yourselves."—Messages

to Young People,

p. 174. We should

not let slip even one opportunity of qualifying ourselves intellec-

tually to work for God.

FURTHER STUDY



Messages to Young People,

pp. 219-225.

Responding to God's Gift

LESSON 4



❑

Friday

July 21



Part 6



"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he



FOLLOWING



had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith

ABRAHAM'S wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?



EXAMPLE



And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed

God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.... Ye see

then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith

only" (James 2:21-24).

"They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abra-

ham. . . . They which be of faith are blessed with faithful

Abraham" (Gal. 3:7-9).

Our faith is demonstrated by its fruitage, which can be seen by

all. If we believe Christ is coming, we will do all that is in our

power to hasten His coming. We will strive to finish the task He

has given His church to do, and this includes giving our children

an education to become workers for the Lord. God's blessing

upon Abraham that in him all nations of the earth should be

blessed is shared by those who have given of their children to go

to the far corners of earth with the gospel message for this time.

"It was to impress Abraham's mind with the reality of the

gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to

slay his son. The agony which he endured during the dark days

of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from

his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice

made by the infinite God for man's redemption. No other test

could have caused Abraham such torture of soul as did the

offering of his son. God gave His Son to a death of agony and

shame. The angels who witnessed the humiliation and soul

anguish of the Son of God were not permitted to interpose, as in

the case of Isaac. There was no voice to cry, 'It is enough.' To

save the fallen race, the King of glory yielded up His life. What

stronger proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love

of God? 'He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up

for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all

things?' Romans

8:32."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 154.

THINK IT THROUGH

"By faithfully maintaining their Christian integrity, they [the

youth of our time] may exert a strong influence in the work of

reform. Such men are needed at this time. God has a work for

every one of them. Never did men achieve greater results for

God and humanity than may be achieved in this our day by those

who will be faithful to their God-given

trust."—Patriarchs and

Prophets,

p. 574.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 5, pp. 580-586.

"The sons of the prophets said unto

Elisha, Behold now, the place where

we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan,

and take thence every man a beam,

and let us make a place there, where

we may dwell. . . . So he went with

them" (2 Kings 6:1-4).

It is evident from the key text for this

week's lesson that the "sons of the

prophets" were a group of young men

who shared life with Elisha. Elisha was

God's prophet to ancient Israel about

830 B.C., midway through the

two-century history of the northern

kingdom. The first appearance of a

term similar to "sons of the prophets"

dates back to the time of Samuel, more

than two hundred years earlier.

Samuel marked the transition from the

three-hundred-year period of the

judges to the monarchy under Saul.

Immediately after Saul's anointing, he

was to go to "the hill of God" where he

would meet a "company of prophets"

coming down with music. He was told,

"Thou shalt prophesy with them, and

shalt be turned into another man"

(1 Sam. 10:5, 6). (See verses 9-11.)

Another reference pictures Saul, later

in his career, again approaching such a

"company of the prophets" (1 Sam.

19:18-24), first by messenger and then

personally, and coming under their

influence. This second time the

company of prophets is pictured with

"Samuel standing as appointed over

them."

The verb used for "prophesy" in

these passages is

naba',



act as a

spokesman for God." (See the

SDA

Bible Commentary,

vol. 2, p. 494.) The

reference is not necessarily to

foretelling future events but can refer

to the expression of divine truth in

sacred song. Young men were

associated with Samuel, with Elisha,

and later with Paul. The picture we find

is similar somewhat to that of a group

of devout students for the ministry

learning from an experienced servant

of God through sharing his life and

labor. Two chapters by Ellen White

deal with the subject of this week's

lesson. One is found in

Patriarchs and

Prophets,

pages 592-602. The other is

found in

&Jucation,

pages 45-50. The

background for providing an

educational agency other than the

home school is pictured in the latter:

"Fathers and mothers in Israel

became indifferent to their obligations

to God, indifferent to their obligation

to their children. Through

unfaithfulness in the home, and

idolatrous influences without, many

of the Hebrew youth received an

education differing widely from that

which God had planned for

them. . . .

"To meet this growing evil, God

provided other agencies as an aid to

parents in the work of education.

From the earliest times, prophets had

been recognized as teachers divinely

appointed. In the highest sense the

prophet was one who spoke by direct

inspiration, communicating to the

people the messages he had received

from God. But the name was also

given to those who, though not so

directly inspired, were divinely called

to instruct thepeople in the works and

ways of God. For the training of such a

class of teachers, Samuel, by the

Lord's direction, established the

schools of the prophets."—Education,

pp. 45, 46.

Paul might be consideied the

Samuel of the New Testament,

reparing young men to be spiritual

eaders in an ambulatoryversion of the

schools of the prophets.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Samuel's Company of Prophets

(1 Sam. 19:19-21)

2. "The House of God"

(2 Kings 2:3)

3. Sacred Song

(2 Kings 2:5)

4. School Homes

(2 Kings 4:38)

5. Working Students

(2 Kings 6:1-4)

6. Paul Trained Young Workers

(Acts 20:4)

LESSON 5 July 23-29

5.1he Schools of

the Prophets

The Schools of the Prophets

LESSON 5



❑

Sunday

July 23



Part 1



During the critical period when King Saul was pursuing



SAMUEL'S



David, what group of helpers was seen surrounding Samuel at



COMPANY OF



Ramah, and how powerful was their influence?

PROPHETS

"It was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naloth in

Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when

they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and

Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God

was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and

they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again

the third time, and they prophesied also" (1 Sam. 19:19-21).

The scriptures cited for the first four days' study of this week

mention four places where companies of prophets or sons of

the prophets were gathered: Ramah, Bethel, Jericho, and Gil-

gal. The first mention of them is tied to the name of Samuel. The

others are tied to the names of Elijah and Elisha, immediately

preceding and following Elijah's translation to heaven in a

chariot of fire. We today often refer to these companies as

schools of the prophets.

This first mention is notable not only for the fact that Samuel

was presiding, but for the powerful influence that drew three

successive companies of the messengers of Saul into the spirit

of praise to God, in poetry and song.

"The schools of the prophets were founded by Samuel to

serve as a barrier against the widespread corruption, to provide

for the moral and spiritual welfare of the youth, and to promote

the future prosperity of the nation by furnishing it with men

qualified to act in the fear of God as leaders and counselors. In

the accomplishment of this object Samuel gathered companies

of young men who were pious, intelligent, and studious. These

were called the sons of the prophets. As they communed with

God and studied His word and His works, wisdom from above

was added to their natural endowments. The instructors were

men not only well versed in divine truth, but those who had

themselves enjoyed communion with God and had received the

special endowment of His Spirit. They enjoyed the respect and

confidence of the people, both for learning and piety.

"In Samuel's day there were two of these schools—one at

Ramah, the home of the prophet, and the other at Kirjath-jearim,

where the ark then was. Others were established in later

times."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 593.



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 45-47.

The Schools of the Prophets

LESSON 5



❑

Monday

July 24

Part 2

"THE HOUSE

OF GOD"

Preceding the translation of Elijah, what group greeted

Elijah and Elisha in the mountainous region of Israel?

"The sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to

Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take

away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I

know it; hold ye your peace" (2 Kings 2:3).

Beth-el was the place where Jacob lay down to sleep with a

stone for a pillow as he fled from his brother Esau. Alone and

unbefriended, he dreamed he saw a ladder of light reaching

down from heaven to his resting place. He arose to name the

place Beth-el, house of God, "for surely God is in this place, and

I knew it not. .'. . This is none other but the house of God."

How appropriate it is that a school of the prophets should be

established in such a place as this. Every Christian school today

should have an atmosphere such that the name Beth-el would

fit. "Ministers and teachers, let your work be fragrant with rich

spiritual grace."—Gospel

Workers,

p. 272. To students God

says, "Notice for yourself if all things in your own room are

spotless and in order, that nothing there may be an offense to

God, but that when holy angels pass through your room, they

may be led to linger because attracted by the prevailing order

and cleanliness."—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 171.

"The chief subjects of study in these schools were the law of

God, with the instructions given to Moses, sacred history, sa-

cred music, and poetry. The manner of instruction was far dif-

ferent from that in the theological schools of the present day,

from which many students graduate with less real knowledge of

God and religious truth than when they entered. In those

schools of the olden time it was the grand object of all study to

learn the will of God and man's duty toward Him. In the records

of sacred history were traced the footsteps of Jehovah. The

great truths set forth by the types were brought to view, and faith

grasped the central object of all that system—the Lamb of God

that was to take away the sin of the world.

"A spirit of devotion was cherished. Not only were students

taught the duty of prayer, but they were taught how to pray, how

to approach their Creator, how to exercise faith in Him, and how

to understand and obey the teachings of His Spirit. Sanctified

intellects brought forth from the treasure house of God things

new and old, and the Spirit of God was manifested in prophecy

and sacred

song."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 593, 594.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 47-49.

The Schools of the Prophets

LESSON 5



❑

Tuesday

July 25

Part 3

SACRED SONG

Where was a third school of the prophets located?

"The sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to

Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that thy Lord will take

away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea,

I know it; hold ye your peace" (2 Kings 2:5).

Jericho had been the scene of God's mighty demonstration of

power on behalf of his chosen people. The younger generation

saw in the opening of the river Jordan and the fall of Jericho a

special indication the Lord was with them. A monument was

erected near Jericho with specific instructions that it should be

used to answer the questions of the children in years to come

for educational purposes. (See Joshua 4:19-24.) This was an

appropriate location for a school of the prophets. Here music

was part of the curriculum.

"Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts

to that which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken in the

soul devotion and gratitude to God. What a contrast between

the ancient custom and the uses to which music is now too

often devoted! How many employ this gift to exalt self, instead

of using it to glorify God! A love for music leads the unwary to

unite with world lovers in pleasure gatherings where God has

forbidden His children to go. Thus that which is a great blessing

when rightly used, becomes one of the most successful agen-

cies by which Satan allures the mind from duty and from the

contemplation of eternal things.

"Music forms a part of God's worship in the courts above, and

we should endeavor, in our songs of praise, to approach as

nearly as possible to the harmony of the heavenly choirs. The

proper training of the voice is an important feature in education

and should not be

neglected."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 594. Sacred music (1) fixes God's word in memory; (2) has

power to subdue rude and uncultivated natures: (3) has power

to quicken thought and to awaken sympathy; (4) promotes

harmony of action; (5) banishes the gloom and foreboding that

destroys courage and weakens effort. (See

Education,

pp. 167,

168.)

"The value of song as a means of education should never be

lost sight of. Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are

sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure and

more of cheerfulness and hope and joy. Let there

singing in

the school, and the pupils will be drawn closer to God, to their

teachers, and to one another."—Education, p. 168.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 593-595.

The Schools of the Prophets

LESSON 5



❑

Wednesday

July 26



Part 4



What indication do we have that meals were served in the



SCHOOL



school of the prophets at Gilgal?

HOMES

"Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the

land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him:

and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe

pottage for the sons of the prophets" (2 Kings 4:38).

Elisha, the miracle-working prophet, is often referred to as

the symbol or type of Christ, just as Elijah, his predecessor, was

the type of John the Baptist. As a teacher in the schools of the

prophets, he knew the value of constant companionship with

his students in the formation of character. This was the method

chosen by Christ, and should be one of the main considerations

in providing dormitories in our academies and colleges. A very

special responsibility rests upon the deans to create the atmos-

phere of a Christian home for those who are away from home.

"The most complete illustration of Christ's methods as a

teacher is found in His training of the twelve first disciples. Upon

these men were to rest weighty responsibilities. He had chosen

them as men whom He could imbue with His Spirit, and who

could be fitted to carry forward His work on earth when He

should leave it. To them, above all others, He gave the advan-

tage of His own companionship. . . .

" ... The Twelve first chosen, with a few others who through

ministry to their needs were from time to time connected with

them, formed the family of Jesus. They were with Him in the

house, at the table, in the closet, in the field. They accompanied

Him on His journeys, shared His trials and hardships, and, as

much as in them was, entered into His work.

"Sometimes He taught them as they sat together on the

mountainside, sometimes beside the sea, or from the fisher-

man's boat, sometimes as they walked by the way. Whenever He

spoke to the multitude, the disciples formed the inner

circle."—Education, pp. 84, 85.

Early in the history of Seventh-day Adventist education stu-

dents were left to make their own living arrangements. But

divine direction was given to make school homes a part of the

educational process: "Our school homes have been estab-

lished that our youth may not be left to drift hither and thither,

and be exposed to the evil influences which everywhere

abound; but that, as far as possible, a home atmosphere may be

provided that they may be preserved from temptations to im-

morality and be led to

Jesus."—Testimonies,

vol. 6, p. 168.

FURTHER STUDY



Counsels to Teachers,

pp. 220-224.

The Schools of the Prophets

LESSON 5



❑

Thursday

July 27



Part 5



How did one of the schools of the prophets go about solving



WORKING



their need for buildings and expansion of facilities?

STUDENTS

"The sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the

place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go,

we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a

beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.

And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray

thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So

went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut

down wood" (2 Kings 6:1-4).

Elisha personally participated in procuring lumber for expan-

sion of the living quarters at this school of the prophets. He is an

example for teachers today. Instruction was given in 1902 to

those who were leading in the establishment of secondary edu-

cation in California that "our teachers should not think that

their work ends with giving instruction from books. Several

hours each day should be devoted to working with the students

in some line of manual training. In no case should this be

neglected."—Counsels

to Teachers,

p. 211.

"Useful manual labor is a part of the gospel plan. The Great

Teacher, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud, gave directions to

Israel that every youth should be taught some line of useful

employment. Therefore it was the custom of the Jews, the

wealthy as well as the poorer classes, to teach their sons and

daughters some useful trade, so that, should adverse cir-

cumstances arise, they would not be dependent upon others,

but would be able to provide for their own necessities."—

Counsels to Teachers,

p. 307.

"Various industries should be carried on in our schools. The

industrial instruction given should include the keeping of ac-

counts, carpentry, and all that is comprehended in farming.

Preparation should be made for the teaching of blacksmithing,

painting, shoemaking, and for cooking, baking, washing, mend-

ing, typewriting, and printing. . . .

. . . Under the guidance of experienced workmen, carpen-

ters who are apt to teach, patient, and kind, the youth should be

taught how to build substantially and economically. Cottages

and other buildings essential to the various lines of schoolwork

are to be erected by the students themselves."—Counsels

Teachers,

pp. 310, 311.

What incident demonstrated God's concern for the working

students? 2 Kings 6:5-7.

FURTHER STUDY



Counsels to Teachers,

pp. 307-319.

The Schools of the Prophets

LESSON 5



❑

Friday

July 28

Part 6

PAUL TRAINED

YOUNG WORKERS

What indication is there that Paul understood the need of

training young men for the ministry and that he held "field

schools of evangelism"?

"There accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of

the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of

Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus"

(Acts 20:4).

The first young helper mentioned in connection with Paul's

work was John Mark, Barnabas's nephew. "Mark proposed to

Paul and Barnabas that he should accompany them on their

missionary tour. He felt the favor of God in his heart and longed

to devote himself entirely to the work of the gospel ministry."—

The Acts of the Apostles,

p. 167. The first experience was not

eminently successful, and Paul was displeased when Mark

turned back in the face of difficulties. But Paul later sent for

Mark; the story ended well. (See Col. 4:10 and 2 Tim. 4:11.)

On that same first missionary journey Paul met Timothy at

Lystra. On the second journey, returning to the same place,

"Paul saw that Timothy was faithful, steadfast, and true, and he

chose him as a companion in labor and travel. Those who had

taught Timothy in his childhood were rewarded by seeing the

son of their care linked in close fellowship with the great

apostle."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 203.

By the time we come to the lesson text for today, on Paul's

third missionary journey, he had at least seven young men with

him in addition to Silas and Luke; Titus, not mentioned in Acts

20, had gone ahead to Corinth, as indicated in Second Corin-

thians. (See

SDA Bible Dictionary,

p. 1104.)

"This feature of Paul's work contains an important lesson for

ministers today. The apostle made it a part of his work to edu-

cate young men for the office of the ministry. He took them with

him on his missionary journeys, and thus they gained an experi-

ence that later enabled them to fill positions of responsibility.

When separated from them, he still kept in touch with their

work, and his letters to Timothy and to Titus are evidences of

how deep was his desire for their success.

"Experienced workers today do a noble work when, instead

of trying to carry all the burdens themselves, they train younger

workers and place burdens on their shoulders."—The

Acts of

the Apostles,

pp. 367, 368.

FURTHER STUDY



The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 367-371.

LESSON 6 July 30 to August 5

6. Food for Thought

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the

flesh profiteth nothing: the words that

I speak unto you, they are spirit, and

they are life" (John 6:63).

This week's lesson stresses the

importance of the Word of God as the

foundation of all true education. It

should be the all-pervading influence

that reaches into every subject in

school and every activity in the home

and the church. The biblical basis is

found in the sixth chapter of John,

where, after feeding the five

thousand, Jesus referred to the bread

from heaven given to ancient Israel in

the wilderness. Jesus stressed that His

words—His teachings, His principles

for living—were the real, enduring

nourishment to sustain the life of the

whole man, now and forever.

"This sixth chapter of John contains

the most precious and important

lessons for all who are being educated

in our schools. If they want that

education that will endure through

time and through eternity, let them

bring the wonderful truths of this

chapter into their practical life. The

whole chapter is very instructive, but

is only faintly understood. We urge

students to take in these words of

Christ, that they may understand their

privileges. The Lord Jesus teaches us

what Fie is to us, and what advantage it

will be to us individually to eat His

words, realizing that He himself is the

great center of our life, 'The words that

speak unto you,' He said, 'they are

spirit, and they are life.' . . .

This experience [complete union

with Christ] gives every teacher the

very qualifications that will make him a

representative of Christ Jesus. The

methods of Christ's teaching will, if

followed, give a force and directness

to his communications and to his

prayers. His witness for Christ will not

be a narrow, tame, lifeless testimony,

but will be like ploughing up the field,

quickening the conscience, opening

the heart, and preparing it for the

seeds of

truth."—Fundamentals of

Christian Education,

p. 456.

A supervisor of elementary

education in the church took the

above quotation seriously and used

the sixth chapter of John as the basic

topic for her teachers in summer

school.

Unsuspecting parents may send

their children to church school or to

Sabbath School not realizing that, in

the absence of teacher training such as

that referred to, the teacher may

choose materials that are out of

harmony with church standards.

Curriculum committees have been

organized so that groups of Christian

teachers can make a deliberate study

of all materials to be used in every area

of study, to make them consistent with

the purposes of Christian education.

Shouldn't all of us, especially parents

with small children at home, give

similar attention to the papers and

magazines in our living rooms and the

pictures that hang on our walls, not to

mention the radio and television

programs that through choice or

neglect are allowed in our homes?

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Five Loaves and Two Fishes

(John 6:5-14)

2. "Meat Which Endureth"

(John 6:26, 27)

3. True Bread From Heaven

(John 6:35)

4. Manna in the Communion Service

(1 Cor. 10:1-6, 16, 21)

5. Meal to Counteract Poison

(2 Kings 4:38-41)

6. "Meat That Ye Know Not Of"

(John 4:32-34)

Food for Thought

LESSON 6



❑

Sunday

July 30

Part 1



What wonderful miracle led men to exclaim, "This is of a

FIVE LOAVES truth that prophet which should come into the world"? (See

AND TWO John 6:5-14.)

FISHES

The miracle of feeding the five thousand, which was the basis

for Jesus' discourse on the bread of life, contains at least ten

practical lessons that are brought out in the inspired commen-

tary in

The Desire of Ages,

pp: 365-371.

Jesus was just as thoughtful of people's temporal neces-

sities as of their spiritual need.

Christ never worked a miracle except to supply a genuine

necessity.

The food was simple. If men today were simple in their

habits, as Adam and Eve in the beginning, there would be an

abundant supply for the needs of the human family.

Jesus lifted the veil from the world of nature and revealed

the power that is constantly exercised for our good. In the

production of earth's harvests there is a miracle every day.

Nothing was to be wasted, in material or spiritual matters—

the leftovers were taken home to be shared.

The providence of God had placed Jesus where He was; He

depended on His heavenly Father for the means to provide.

Christ received from the Father, He imparted to the disci-

ples, they imparted to the multitude, and the people to one

another.

The most intelligent, the most spiritually minded, can be-

stow only as they receive.

When surrounded by souls in need, do not send for some-

one from afar—bring your barley loaves to Jesus.

10.

The little that is wisely and economically used in the service

of the Lord of heaven will increase in the very act of imparting.

Parents, teachers, and church leaders are responsible for

fostering the spiritual life of the youth. Some of the means by

which they can do this are the Sabbath School, the church

school, the MV society, good reading, and a personal interest in

each youth. They should find encouragement in this story of

how Jesus, depending on His heavenly Father, provided food

for the multitude even though no resources seemed to be in

sight.

THINK IT THROUGH



"Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,

As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;

My spirit pants for Thee, 0 living Word

Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;

-Church Hymnal,

No. 218.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 364-371.

Food for Thought

LESSON 6



❑

Monday

July 31



Part 2



To what kind of food did Jesus seek to direct people's



"MEAT WHICH



attention in interpreting the miracle of feeding the five

ENDURETH" thousand?

"Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto

you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but be-

cause ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for

the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth

unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you:

for him hath God the Father sealed" (John 6:26, 27).

Important things happened between the miracle of feeding

the five thousand and the discourse on the bread of life. The

intervening evening had seen Jesus frustrate the intent of

stormy men to make Him king. The night had seen Him come to

the aid of His disciples in a stormy night on the lake. This was a

critical moment in Jesus' life—the peak of popularity was to be

followed by falling shadows as people realized the spiritual

nature of His mission and turned away.

The contrast between the "meat that perisheth" and the

"meat which endureth unto everlasting life was dramatically

presented to Ellen White in a vision of a group discussing

education:

"There was a hush in the assembly, and conviction came

upon each heart. Men who had thought themselves wise and

strong saw that they were weak and lacking in the knowledge of

that Book which concerns the eternal destiny of the human

soul.

"The messenger of God then took from the hands of several

teachers those books which they had been making their study,

some of which had been written by infidel authors and con-

tained infidel sentiments, and laid them aside, saying: 'There

never has been a time in your lives when the study of these

books was for your present good and advancement, or for your

future, eternal good. Why will you fill your shelves with books

that divert the mind from Christ? Why do you spend money for

that which is not bread? Christ calls you: "Learn of Me; for I am

meek and lowly in heart." You need to eat of the Bread of life

which came down from heaven. You need to be more diligent

students of the Holy Scriptures and to drink from the living

Fountain. Draw, draw from Christ in earnest prayer. Obtain a

daily experience in eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the

Son of God. Human authors can never supply your great need

for this time; but by beholding Christ, the Author and Finisher of

your faith, you will be changed into His likeness."—

Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 164, 165.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 383-388.

4.-ASSL-3-78

Food for Thought

LESSON 6



❑

Tuesday

August 1

Part 3

TRUE BREAD

FROM HEAVEN

As Jesus compared Himself to the manna in the wilderness,

what promise did He make to hungry and thirsty souls?

"Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh

to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall

never thirst" (John 6:35).

Look at the context. The people who had seen Jesus feed the

five thousand referred to their past history: "Our fathers did eat

manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from

heaven to eat" (verse 31). They looked for a Messiah that would

free them from Roman rule, as Moses had freed their ancestors

from Egyptian slavery.

Jesus' reply was, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave

you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the

true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which

cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world"

(verses 32, 33).

"The life of Christ that gives life to the world is in His word. It

was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons;

by His word He stilled the sea, and raised the dead; and the

people bore witness that His word was with power. He spoke the

word of God, as He had spoken through all the prophets and

teachers of the Old Testament. The whole Bible is a manifesta-

tion of Christ, and the Saviour desired to fix the faith of His

followers on the word. When His visible presence should be

withdrawn, the word must be their source of power. Like their

Master, they were to live 'by every word that proceedeth out of

the mouth of God.' Matt. 4:4."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 390.

"The springs of heavenly peace and joy, unsealed in the soul

of the teacher by the words of Inspiration, will become a mighty

river of influence to bless all who connect with him. The Bible

will not become a tiresome book to the student. Under a wise

instructor the word will become more and more desirable. It will

be as the bread of life, and will never grow old. Its freshness and

beauty will attract and charm the children and youth. It is like the

sun shining upon the earth, perpetually imparting brightness

and warmth, yet never exhausted.

"God's holy, educating Spirit is in His word. A light, a new and

precious light, shines forth from every page. Truth is there

revealed, and words and sentences are made bright and ap-

propriate for the occasion, as the voice of God speaking to the

soul. . .

. . . There will grow in the fruitful mind a familiarity with

divine things that will be as a barricade against temptation."—

Christ's Object Lessons,

p. 132.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 389-394.

Food for Thought

LESSON 6



❑

Wednesday

August 2



Part 4



What parallel did Paul trace between the Communion ser-

MANNA IN THE vice and the manna in the wilderness? 1 Cor. 10:1-6, 16, 21.

COMMUNION



SERVICE



Though the passage in First Corinthians 11:24-26 is often

used in the Communion service in many Christian churches,

seldom is any attention paid to chapter 10, preceding it.

Paul says all Israel was "baptized unto Moses in the cloud and

in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all

drink the same spiritual drink" (1 Cor. 10:2-4). He argues that

the great majority perished in the wilderness because they did

not perceive the spiritual truths symbolized in the experiences

of the Red Sea passage, the manna, and the water from the rock.

Likewise, in the Christian church at Corinth, there was danger

that the baptismal font might have been only a bath for fully

clothed Corinthians in whose heart the Egypt of immorality and

fornication still existed (verses 6-8). There was danger of linger-

ing at the table of idol's food without seeing the idol worship

implied (verses 16-21, 28). And there was danger that the Com-

munion service might be only another meal at which gluttony

and selfishness were common (chapter 11, verses 20-22, 33, 34);

Paul sought to highlight again the spiritual food, so much

needed by us today.

"When we eat Christ's flesh and drink His blood, the element

of eternal life will be found in the ministry. There will not be a

fund of stale, oft-repeated ideas. The tame, dull sermonizing will

cease. The old truths will be presented, but they will be seen in a

new light. There will be a new perception of truth, a clearness

and a power that all will discern. Those who have the privilege of

sitting under such a ministry will, if susceptible to the Holy

Spirit's influence, feel the energizing power of a new life. The

fire of God's love will be kindled within them. Their perceptive

faculties will be quickened to discern the beauty and majesty of

truth.

"The faithful householder represents what every teacher of

the children and youth should be. If he makes the word of God

his treasure, he will continually bring forth new beauty and new

truth. When the teacher will rely upon God in prayer, the Spirit of

Christ will come upon him, and God will work through him by

the Holy Spirit upon the minds of others. The Spirit fills the mind

and heart with sweet hope and courage and Bible imagery, and

all this will be communicated to the youth under his

instruction."—Christ's

Object Lessons,

pp. 130-132.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 388-390.

Food for Thought

LESSON 6



❑

Thursday

August 3



Part 5



What tragedy befell the students in the school of the



MEAL TO



prophets at Gilgal, and how did Elisha remedy the situation?

COUNTERACT 2 Kings 4:38-41.

POISON

The wild gourds that were shredded into the pottage were not

known to be poisonous. But when the pottage was served and

tasted, the students "cried out, and said, 0 thou man of God,

there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But he

said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said,

Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no

harm in the pot." The meal in Elisha's hand became a miracu-

lous agent for life, counteracting the poison.

This incident can serve as an illustration of the healing power

of the word of God in dissipating the deathly poison of worldly

thought and principles in the mental food of students. Ellen

White speaks of the reading of objectionable books as "impart-

ing poison" to the reader.

"The world acknowledges as teachers some whom God can-

not endorse as safe instructors. By these the Bible is discarded,

and the productions of infidel authors are recommended as if

they contained those sentiments which should be woven into

the character. What can you expect from the sowing of this kind

of seed? In the study of these objectionable books the minds of

teachers as well as of students become corrupted, and the

enemy sows his tares. It cannot be otherwise. By drinking of an

impure fountain, poison is introduced into the system. Inex-

perienced youth taken over this line of study receive impres-

sions which lead their thoughts into channels that are fatal to

piety. Youth who have been sent to our schools have learned

from books which were thought to be safe because they were

used and encouraged in the schools of the world. But from the

worldly schools thus followed many students have gone forth

infidels because of the study of these very books."—

Testimonies,

vol. 6, p. 164.

"The knowledge that comes from God is the bread of life. It is

the leaves of the tree of life which are for the healing of the

nations. The current of spiritual life thrills the soul as the words

of Christ are believed and practiced. Thus it is that we are made

one with Christ. The experience that was weak and feeble be-

comes strong. It is eternal life to us if we hold the beginning of

our confidence firm unto the end.

"All truth is to be received as the life of Jesus. Truth cleanses

us from all impurity, and prepares the soul for Christ's presence.

Christ is formed within, the hope of glory."—Ellen G. White

Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 957.



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 123-127.

Food for Thought

LESSON 6



❑

Friday

August 4



Part 6



How was Jesus' own victorious life sustained in a sinful

"MEAT . . . THAT world?

YE KNOW NOT OF"

"He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

... My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish

his work" (John 4:32-34).

Not only in receiving, but in giving, there is life. Jesus' prayer

life and His study of the Scriptures was complemented by an

active ministry to others. Jesus was refreshed by finding in the

Samaritan woman a receptive audience. (See John 4:31-34.)

The three paragraphs that follow illustrate: (1) the active wit-

ness that characterizes the life in Christ; (2) the thirst for the

Word within the church; and (3) the thirst for the Word in the

world at large.

"Christ's gracious presence in His word is ever speaking to

the soul, representing Him as the well of living water to refresh

the thirsting soul. It is our privilege to have a living, abiding

Saviour. He is the source of spiritual power implanted within us,

and His influence will flow forth in words and actions, refresh-

ing all within the sphere of our influence, begetting in them

desires and aspirations for strength and purity, for holiness and

peace, and for that joy which brings no sorrow with it. This is the

result of an indwelling

Saviour."—Testimonies to Ministers,

p. 390.

"If the people of God would appreciate His word, we should

have a heaven in the church here below. Christians would be

eager, hungry, to search the word. They would be anxious for

time to compare scripture with scripture and to meditate upon

the word. They would be more eager for the light of the word

than for the morning paper, magazines, or novels. Their

greatest desire would be to eat the flesh and drink the blood of

the Son of God. And as a result their lives would be conformed

to the principles and promises of the word. Its instruction would

be to them as the leaves of the tree of life. It would be in them a

well of water, springing up into everlasting

life."—Testimonies,

vol. 8, p. 193.

"The hearts of many in the world as well as many church

members are hungering for the bread of life and thirsting for the

waters of salvation. They are interested in the service of song,

but they are not longing for that or even prayer. They want to

know the Scriptures. What saith the Word of God to me? The

Holy Spirit is working on mind and heart, drawing them to the

bread of life. They see everything round them changing. Human

feelings, human ideas of what constitutes religion, change.

They come to hear the Word just as it

reads."—Evangelism,

p. 501.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 190, 191.

"He said unto them, The sabbath

was made for man, and not man for the

sabbath" (Mark 2:27).

"The value of the Sabbath as a

means of education is beyond

estimate."—Education, p. 250.

This week's lesson focuses on God's

purpose for the Sabbath and other

weekend activities to become a

blessing to man, especially after sin, in

restoring him to godlikeness. The

lesson is based on texts about the

Sabbath from the Gospels and a

chapter of the book

Education.

For the average adult, a typical week

will be divided into three main

categories of activity: work, home,

and church. For the child of school

age, it will be school, home, and

church. In today's industrialized,

materialistic society the church has

been largely replaced by the country

club, the night club, or other social

activities, to the detriment of the

spiritual side of a person's life. For

some, even the social side of life

suffers as the weekend is devoted to

one-way communication via the

television receiver. All of these

activities are shaping the character of

the child and the adult alike.

While the Sabbath is in the broadest

sense our leisure time, nevertheless

because of its holy nature it is

important that we should honor God

by utilizing the educational potential

of the Sabbath.

Be awake then to the educational

opportunities of the Sabbath: (1) the

Sabbath School, especially the lesson

study in which the Word of God is

assimilated at every level from the

cradle roll to the adult division, and in

all the hundreds of languages used by

the Seventh-day Adventist Church

around the world; (2) the MV

meeting; (3) the Sabbath afternoon

walks in contact with nature; (4) the

singing bands and literature

distribution and other forms of

witnessing by which the young people

in our schools learn the joys of sharing

their faith, (ideally, they will have

learned this at home by sharing these

activities with their parents); (5) the

joyous music in the Sabbath School

and the majestic music of the Christian

church in the divine service; (6) the

preaching of the Word from the

pulpit; (7) the unrushed meal at the

family table, perhaps with guests

invited home from church, or other

visitors not of our faith; (8) games in

which Bible knowledge is built into the

consciousness of the young in

pleasant social surroundings.

"The value of the Sabbath as a

means of education is beyond

estimate. Whatever of ours God

claims from us, He returns again,

enriched, transfigured, with His own

glory. The tithe that He claimed from

fsrael was devoted to preserving

among men, in its glorious beauty, the

pattern of His temple in the heavens,

the token of His presence on the

earth. So the portion of our time which

He claims is given again to us, bearing

His name and seal. 'It is a sign,' He

says, 'between Me and you; ... that ye

may know that lam the Lord;' because

'in six days the Lord made heaven and

earth, the sea, and all that in them is,

and rested the seventh day: wherefore

the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and

hallowed it.' Exodus 31:13; 20:11. The

Sabbath is a sign of creative and

redeeming power; it points to God as

the source of life and knowledge; it

recalls man's primeval glory, and thus

witnesses to God's purpose to

re-create us in His own

image."—Education,

p. 250.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Wisdom Revealed to Babes

(Matt. 11:25, 26)

Revealed Through Christ

(Matt. 11:27)

"Rest . . . and Learn of Me"

(Matt. 11:28-30)

Sabbath Learning Activities

(Matt. 12:1-8)

Formal Worship on the Sabbath

(Luke 4:16-20)

The Sabbath of Eternity

(Isa. 66:22, 23)

LESSON 7 August 6-12

7. The Sabbath and

Education



The Sabbath



and Education

LESSON 7



❑

Sunday

August 6



Part 1



What reference to the acquiring of knowledge did Jesus



WISDOM



make just before extending His gracious invitation "Learn of



REVEALED



me ... : and ye shall find rest for your souls"?

TO BABES

"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, 0

Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these

things from the wise and prudent, and hest revealed them

unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy

sight" (Matt. 11:25, 26).

To understand more fully the story of Jesus' use of the Sab-

bath with His disciples, following the familiar invitation to "rest"

and "learn of me," go back to Matthew 11:1. Christ had just

received the embassy from the imprisoned John the Baptist.

Jesus foresaw that He would be rejected, as John had been.

Popular opinion criticized John for fasting and Jesus for feast-

ing. Popular opinion was, then, as inconsistent as foolish, quar-

reling children in a marketplace (verses 16-19). In contrast,

"wisdom is justified

her

children" (verse 19). Jesus' mighty

works had been wasted on Chorazin and Bethsaida and on

Capernaum, which was "exalted unto heaven" (verses 20-23),

too proud to accept His message. But Jesus rejoiced that there

were "babes" to whom, in their humility and simplicity, God

could reveal spiritual truth. Wisdom's children were those who

took time to listen to Jesus' message. Today, those will be

rewarded who take time to listen to His voice in the study of His

Word. For this, specific "leisure" time has been provided:

"As a means of intellectual training, the opportunities of the

Sabbath are invaluable. Let the Sabbath school lesson be

learned, not by a hasty glance at the lesson scripture on Sab-

bath morning, but by careful study for the next week on Sabbath

afternoon, with daily review or illustration during the week.

Thus the lesson will become fixed in the memory, a treasure

never to be wholly

lost."—Education,

pp. 251, 252.

How did Paul distinguish the wisdom of God from the wis-

dom of the world? 1 Cor. 2:6, 7.

In the previous chapter the wisdom of God is identified with

Christ crucified, that is, with the plan of salvation and the im-

measurable love of God manifested in Christ's giving His life on

the cross. The whole theme of First Corinthians chapters 1 to 13

is that this love is superior to the

gnosis,

or knowledge, which

certain Corinthians professed to have.

The kind of education obtained in association with the Sab-

bath rest is foolishness in the eyes of worldly educators, but it is

the power of God and the wisdom of God to the believer.



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 250-252.

The Sabbath and Education

LESSON 7



❑

Monday

August 7



Part 2



Through whom does the Father reveal to His "babes" the



REVEALED



things that have been hidden from the "wise" and "prudent"?

THROUGH



CHRIST



"All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man

knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the

Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will

reveal him" (Matt. 11:27).

Christ is the channel through whom knowledge of the Father

and of the universe over which the Father presides is conveyed

to the "babes" (verse 25).

"In the Teacher sent from God, all true educational work finds

its center. Of this work today as verily as of the work He estab-

lished eighteen hundred years ago, the Saviour speaks in the

words—

" 'I am the First and the Last, and the Living One.'

" 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.'

Revelation 1:17, R.V.; 21:6, R.V.

"In the presence of such a Teacher, of such opportunity for

divine education, what worse than folly is it to seek an education

apart from Him—to seek to be wise apart from Wisdom; to be

true while rejecting Truth; to seek illumination apart from the

Light, and existence without the Life; to turn from the Fountain

of living waters, and hew out broken cisterns, that can hold no

water.

"Behold, He is still inviting: 'If any man thirst, let him come

unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture

hath said,' out of him 'shall flow rivers of living water.' The

water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water

springing up unto eternal life.' John 7:37, 38; 4:14, R.V."—

Education,

p. 83.

"Like the woman at the well I was seeking

For things that could not satisfy;

And then I heard my Savior speaking:

'Draw from My well that never shall run dry.'

Fill my cup, Lord,—I lift it up, Lord!

Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;

Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more—

Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!"

—Richard Blanchard.*

*From

Songs That Touch the Heart,

Used by permission.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 349-353.

The Sabbath and Education

LESSON 7



❑

Tuesday

August 8



Part 3



In what familiar and beautiful words is the invitation "learn



"REST . . . AND



of me" associated with the invitation to rest?

LEARN OF ME"

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I

will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for

I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your

souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt.

11:28-30).

The Sabbath is the day of rest, and the word in Hebrew means

"rest." The word "sabbath" is interchangeable with other

words for rest in many settings. The word used in the above text

is broader than the Sabbath rest, but can be understood as

including it.

Care must be taken to distinguish between the ceremonial

sabbaths, and the weekly Sabbath of the fourth commandment.

The latter is more completely and permanently appropriate to

the rest of the soul referred to in verse 29. Jesus Himself links

learning, learning of Him, with this rest of the soul.

"The Sabbath and the family were alike instituted in Eden,

and in God's purpose they are indissolubly linked together. On

this day more than on any other, it is possible for us to live the

life of Eden. It was God's plan for the members of the family to

be associated in work and study, in worship and recreation, the

father as priest of his household, and both father and mother as

teachers and companions of their children. But the results of

sin, having changed the conditions of life, to a great degree

prevent this association. Often the father hardly sees the faces

of his children throughout the week. He is almost wholly de-

prived of opportunity for companionship or instruction. But

God's love has set a limit to the demands of toil. Over the

Sabbath He places His merciful hand. In His own day He pre-

serves for the family opportunity for communion with Him, with

nature, and with one

another."—Education,

pp. 250-251.

Because so many Adventist families have not sent their chil-

dren to the church school, they should make their family wor-

ships and the Sabbath an especially fascinating experience for

their children. How else can they even hope to see them safely

through the gates into God's kingdom? The children's Sabbath

School should have the very best talent in the church, and

ample financing to provide room decorations, felt craft illustra-

tions, attendance and offering devices, a well-tuned piano, and

other needed equipment. The Sabbath sermon should have a

corner for the children, and the whole sermon should be simple

enough for the older children to understand it. A good minister

knows that Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my lambs."



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 353-359.

The Sabbath and Education

LESSON 7



❑

Wednesday

August 9



Part 4



What truth did Jesus state in concluding His dialog with the



SABBATH



Pharisees in the cornfield?

LEARNING



ACTIVITIES



"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the

corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck

the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it,

they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not

lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, ...

the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day" (Matt. 12:1-8).

The Sabbath is Christ's day, for man to use to His glory.

"An All-wise Creator knew that man, the creature of His hand,

needed opportunity for moral and spiritual growth, for charac-

ter development. He needed time in which his own interests and

pursuits should be subordinated to a study of the character and

will of God as revealed in nature, and later, in revelation. The

seventh-day Sabbath was ordained of God to meet this need....

"God ordained that the Sabbath should be a blessing, not a

burden, and it is to man's interest and not his injury to observe it.

It was designed to increase his happiness, not to work a hard-

ship on him. Sabbathkeeping does not consist essentially in the

petty observance of certain formalities and in abstention from

certain pursuits; to think of it in this light is to miss completely

the true spirit and objectives of Sabbath observance and to

engage in the pursuit of righteousness based on works. We

refrain from certain tasks, from certain pursuits, from certain

topics of thought and conversation, not because that by so

doing we think to win favor with God. We refrain from these

things in order that we may devote our time, our energies, and

our thought to other pursuits that will increase our understand-

ing of God, our appreciation

of His goodness, our capacity to

cooperate with Him, and our ability to serve Him and our fellow

men more effectively."—SDA

Bible Commentary,

vol. 5, p. 588.

"We can walk out with them [our children] in the open air; we

can sit with them in the groves and in the bright sunshine, and

give their restless minds something to feed upon by conversing

with them upon the works of God, and can inspire them with

love and reverence by calling their attention to the beautiful

objects in nature.

"The Sabbath should be made so interesting to our families

that its weekly return will be hailed with joy. In no better way can

parents exalt and honor the Sabbath than by devising means to

impart proper instruction to their families and interesting them

in spiritual things, giving them correct views of the character of

God and what He requires of us in order to perfect Christian

characters and attain to eternal life. Parents, make the Sabbath

a delight, that your children may look forward to it and have a

welcome in their hearts for

it."—Testimonies,

vol. 2, pp. 584,

585.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 359-364.

The Sabbath and Education

LESSON 7



❑

Thursday

August 10

Part 5

FORMAL WORSHIP

ON THE SABBATH

What was Jesus' custom regarding formal worship on the

Sabbath, and how did He participate?

"He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and,

as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath

day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto

him the book of the prophet Esaias [Isa. 61:1-3]. . . And he

closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat

down, And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue

were fastened on him" (Luke 4:16-20).

Jesus was already a young man of thirty when He read the

day's scripture in the synagogue of his home town. But His

"custom," already established, dated from childhood.

As they listen to the sermon, parents and children may note

the texts quoted and the line of thought, to be repeated to one

another at home. This helps relieve weariness for little ones, and

cultivates in parents and children the habit of attention and

connected thought. Undreamed-of treasures will open to the

minds of both, and they will have a new experience:

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was

unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart" (Jer. 15:16).

"I will meditate in thy statutes" (Ps. 119:48).

"More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine

gold. . . . Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in

keeping of them there is great reward" (Ps. 19:10, 11).

"To the humble, believing soul, the house of God on earth is

the gate of heaven. The song of praise, the prayer, the words

spoken by Christ's representatives, are God's appointed agen-

cies to prepare a people for the church above, for that loftier

worship into which there can enter nothing that defileth.

"From the sacredness which was attached to the earthly

sanctuary, Christians may learn how they should regard the

place where the Lord meets with His people. There has been a

great change, not for the better, but for the worse, in the habits

and customs of the people in reference to religious worship.

The precious, the sacred, things which connect us with God are

fast losing their hold upon our minds and hearts, and are being

brought down to the level of common things. The reverence

which the people had anciently for the sanctuary where they

met with God in sacred service has largely passed away.

Nevertheless, God Himself gave the order of His service, exalt-

ing it high above everything of a temporal nature."—

Testimonies,

vol. 5, p. 491.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 364-368.

The Sabbath and Education

LESSON 7



❑

Friday

August 11

Part 6

THE SABBATH

OF ETERNITY

When the Sabbath of eternity begins in the new earth, what

will be the activity of the redeemed each Sabbath day?

"As the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make,

shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and

your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one

new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall

all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord" (Isa.

66:22, 23).

"In this life we can only begin to understand the wonderful

theme of redemption. With our finite comprehension we may

consider most earnestly the shame and the glory, the life and

the death, the justice and the mercy, that meet in the cross; yet

with the utmost stretch of our mental powers we fail to grasp its

full significance. The length and the breadth, the depth and the

height, of redeeming love are but dimly comprehended. The

plan of redemption will not be fully understood, even when the

ransomed see as they are seen and know as they are known; but

through the eternal ages new truth will continually unfold to the

wondering and delighted mind. Though the griefs and pains

and temptations of earth are ended and the cause removed, the

people of God will ever have a distinct, intelligent knowledge of

what their salvation has cost.

"The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the

redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will be-

hold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He whose

power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the

vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven,

He whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore—

humbled Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and

shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father's face, till the woes of

a lost world broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary's

cross. That the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies,

should lay aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to

man will ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe.

As the nations of the saved look upon their Redeemer and

behold the eternal glory of the Father shining in His counte-

nance; as they behold His throne, which is from everlasting to

everlasting, and know that His kingdom is to have no end, they

break forth in rapturous song."—The

Great Controversy,

p. 651.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 281-283, 289.

LESSON 8 August 13-19

8. Education-

A Total Experience

"Be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed by the renewing

of your mind" (Rom. 12:2).

"This world" is a kaleidoscope of

people, impressions, and experiences

that inevitably reflects the results of six

thousand years of sin.

One secular definition of education

is, "the sum total of all the

means—unconscious, conscious,

informal, and formal—by which a

society transmits its values to its new

generations." Formaischooling is only

the last of the three means by which

education is accomplished. The

purpose of this lesson is to show that

there is a biblical foundation for

believing that home and school and

church must work together to

counteract the flood of impressions

that are constantly bombarding the

consciousness of children and youth

at an impressionable age.

Imitation of parents and other

adults, or of older children, is one of

the most powerful factors in

education, though imitation is often

unconscious. "Never underrate the

importance of little things," says Ellen

G. White to those who are perplexed

because their loved ones do not

respond to their efforts. "Your

temper, your unspoken language,

your manners, the repining state of

your mind, your want of Christian

fragrance, your want of spirituality,

the very expression of your

countenance, has witnessed against

you."—Messages to Young People,

p. 202.

The mother who asked the preacher

why her son had left her to go to sea

was pointed to the picture on the

bedroom wall, where her son had for

years, as a little boy, looked at the

wind-filled sails of the clipper ship

billowing over the whitecaps. Just one

picture had filled his mind with

dreams of the sea. It's not so easy to

point to a single picture today when

children see many vivid pictures on

the television set.

The conversation in the barbershop,

the remarks of the clerk in the store,

the whistled tune as young men

shoulder chain saws to fell trees in the

forest, the dinner conversation on

Sabbath or during the week and the

allusions it contains to the sermon, the

minister, or the church—all these are

powerful but often unrecognized

factors in the euducation of our

children.

"Guard Well the Avenues of the

Soul," is one of the chapter titles in

Messages to Young People.

The

avenues of the soul, according to the

author, are the five senses through

which both God and Satan seek to

reach our thinking, which in turn

shapes our lives and our destiny.

Although what we see is probably

the dominant factor governing input

to the mind, what we hear is also

important. Television is preponderant

in today's society, but radio still

reaches commuters in their cars. It is

listened to by people who work more

with hand than mind, and also by the

millions who have discovered the

transistor radio. And for them music

helps to shape their lives.

"There are few means more

effective for fixing His words in

memory than repeating them in song.

And such song has wonderful power.

It has power to subdue rude and

uncultivated natures; power to

quicken thought and to awaken

sympathy, to promote harmony of

action, and to banish the gloom and

foreboding that destroy courage and

weaken effort.

"It is one of the most effective

means of impressing the heart with

spiritual truth."—Education, pp. 167,

168.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Constant Learning

(Deut. 6:7)

Visual Reminders

(Deut. 6:8, 9)

Annual Feasts Taught Lessons

(Deut. 31:10-13)

Choose the Good

(Phil. 4:8)

Reject the Bad

(Rom. 12:2)

Changed by Beholding

(2 Cor. 3:18; lsa. 30:21)

Education-A Total Experience

LESSON 8



❑

Sunday

August 13



Part 1



List four places or situations in which God commanded



CONSTANT



Hebrew parents to teach their children.

LEARNING

"Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and

shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and

when

thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when

thou risest up" (Deut. 6:7).

Of Jesus as a teacher it is said: "To Him nothing was without

purpose. The sports of the child, the toils of the man, life's

pleasures and cares and pains, all were means to the one end—

the revelation of God for the uplifting of humanity. . . .

" ... His teaching caused the things of creation to stand out in

new light. Upon the face of nature once more rested gleamings

of that brightness which sin had banished. In all the facts and

experiences of life were revealed a divine lesson and the possi-

bility of divine companionship."—Education, pp. 82, 83.

We, too, should know that it is not enough to send our chil-

dren to a church school. "The continuity of the Christian influ-

ence is the secret of its power."—The

Ministry of Healing,

p. 494.

The environment in and around our homes must support the

work of the school and the church. "It is often the case that

parents are not careful to surround their children with the right

influences. In choosing a home, they think more of their worldly

interests than of the moral and social atmosphere."—The

Ad-

ventist Home,

p. 136.

In the early days of the church many parents moved to Battle

Creek to give their children the opportunity of obtaining a Chris-

tian education and to surround them with a Christian atmos-

phere. But even in this there was a danger—the danger of

suffocation through inaction. "God calls upon many in Battle

Creek who are dying of spiritual sloth to go where their labor is

needed in His

cause."—Testimonies,

vol. 5, p. 187.

The atmosphere chosen for our children should include ac-

tive personal involvement in the missionary activities of the

church.

The rationale for the Adventist boarding school includes pro-

viding an atmosphere, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a

week, that is conducive to spiritual growth. "A living faith like

threads of gold should run through the daily experience in the

performance of little duties" is one sentence from the chapter

on "School

Homes"—Testimonies,

vol. 6, p. 171.

In an imperfect world, among the things that "work together

for good to them that love God" is included a love for Christ that

actively seeks in all things around us the element of good that

feeds the spiritual life within. (Compare Romans 8:28 with Ro-

mans 8:35-39.)



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 468.

Education-A Total Experience

LESSON 8



❑

Monday

August 14



Part 2



What indication is there of God's intention that visual media



VISUAL



were to play a part in communicating His plan for the life of His

REMINDERS people?

"Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they

shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write

them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates" (Deut.

6:8, 9).

God directed that the Israelites write His commandments on

the posts of the house and on the gates. He told Habakkuk to

"Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run

that readeth it" (2:2). These directions had the purpose of etch-

ing His message on the sensitive film of the mind through the

sharply focused lenses of the human eye. The result would

affect the entire person.

"Some efforts have been made to interest children in the

cause, but not enough. Our Sabbath schools should be made

more interesting. The public schools have of late years greatly

improved their methods of teaching. Object lessons, pictures,

and blackboards are used to make difficult lessons clear to the

youthful mind. Just so may present truth be simplified and made

intensely interesting to the active minds of the children. . . .

" ... The modes of teaching which have been adopted with

such success in the public schools could be employed with

similar results in the Sabbath schools, and be the means of

bringing children to Jesus and educating them in Bible truth.

This will do far more good than religious excitement of an

emotional character, that passes off as rapidly as it comes."—

Counsels on Sabbath School Work,

pp. 114, 115.

Teachers today should be quick to adapt truth to enter

through the eye-gate. "The use of object lessons, blackboards,

maps, and pictures, will be an aid in explaining these lessons,

and fixing them in the memory. Parents and teachers should

constantly seek for improved methods. The teaching of the

Bible should have our freshest thought, our best methods, and

our most earnest

effort."—Education,

p. 186.

"In His [Jesus'] teaching were embraced the things of time

and the things of eternity—things seen, in their relation to

things

unseen."—Education,

p. 82. But He did not depend on a

complicated maze of mechanical gadgets for His audiovisual

penetration of the mind. Ready-made before Him were the

world of nature and the experiences of life. And the greatest

audiovisual resource of all is still within reach of every parent or

teacher—the radiant face of a truly born-again Christian.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 40, 41.

Education-A Total Experience

LESSON 8



❑

Tuesday

August 15

Part 3

ANNUAL FEASTS

TAUGHT LESSONS

Note that there was an educational purpose to the annual

feasts that God instituted for ancient Israel:

"Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every

seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the

feast of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear before

the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt

read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the

people together, men, and women, and children, and thy

stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that

they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do

all the words of this law: and that their children, which have

not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your

God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to

possess it" (Deut. 31:10-13).

"Three times a year seasons were appointed for social inter-

course and worship. First at Shiloh, and afterward at Jerusalem,

these gatherings were held. Only the fathers and sons were

required to be present; but none desired to forgo the oppor-

tunities of the feasts, and, so far as possible, all the household

were in attendance; and with them, as sharers of their hospital-

ity, were the stranger, the Levite, and the poor."—Education,

pp. 41, 42.

The three feasts were the Passover, the Feast of Pentecost,

and the Feast of Tabernacles. The first two were in the

springtime and early summer, the latter in the fall. "By the

devout in Israel, fully a month of every year was occupied in this

way. It was a period free from care and labor, and almost wholly

devoted, in the truest sense, to purposes of education."—

Education,

p. 43.

Adventist camp meetings and youth congresses and large

outdoor gatherings such as are held in Africa can be made to

provide educational experiences like those God gave to ancient

Israel:

"The journey to Jerusalem, in the simple, patriarchal style,

amidst the beauty of the springtime, the richness of midsum-

mer, or the ripened glory of autumn, was a delight. With offer-

ings of gratitude they came, from the man of white hairs to the

little child, to meet with God in His holy habitation. As they

journeyed, the experiences of the past, the stories that both old

and young still love so well, were recounted to the Hebrew

children. The songs that had cheered the wilderness wandering

were sung. God's commandments were chanted, and, bound

up with the blessed influences of nature and of kindly human

association, they were forever fixed in the memory of many a

child and

youth."—Education,

p. 42.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 41-43.

Education-A Total Experience

LESSON 8



❑

Wednesday

August 16



Part 4



What was Paul's counsel to early Christians regarding what

CHOOSE they should feed their minds?

THE GOOD

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever

things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever

things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever

things are of good report; If there be any virtue, and If there be

any praise, think on these things" (Phil. 4:8). (See also Col.

3:1, 2; 2 Cor. 3:18.)

The hours spent in formal schooling are only a portion of the

student's total experience. Many educators feel that it is an

injustice to expect of the school that it should be responsible for

education in its full, true sense. Rather, they believe, the school

should analyze the experience of the child in the home and in

society. Then it should provide those learning experiences that

he might otherwise miss, or which can best be given to him in an

organized way in school. He will obtain everything considered

important to his success and happiness.

Parents and pastors and all others who share with teachers

the burden for the youth of the church should realize how

influential the environment is outside the school. Be aware of

the pictures on the wall, the magazines and books in the den or

recreation room, the TV and radio programs, the newspaper,

the conversation at the dinner table, the children's corner in the

sermon, the Pathfinder club, and the children's Sabbath

School.

Even among good things, the Christian must choose the best.

And young people have their own choices to make. "Dear youth,

cease to read the magazines containing stories. Put away every

novel.. . . We would do well to clear our houses of all the story

magazines and the publications containing ridiculous

pictures—representations originated by satanic agencies. The

youth cannot afford to poison their minds with such things.

'What is the chaff to the wheat?' Let every one who claims to be

a follower of Christ read only that which is true and of eternal

value.

"We must prepare ourselves for most solemn duties. A world

is to be saved.... In view of the great work to be done, how can

any one afford to waste precious time and God-given means in

doing those things that are not for his best good or for the glory

of God

?"—Messages to Young People,

p. 286.



FURTHER STUDY



The Adventist Home,

pp. 317-325.

Education-A Total Experience

LESSON 8



❑

Thursday

August 17



Part 5



What should be the Christian's reaction to the flood of influ-



REJECT



ences that impinge on his consciousness and from the world

THE BAD around him?

"Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by

the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that

good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:2).

A vivid experiment often performed in the physics laboratory

has impressed many students with a dramatic demonstration of

atmospheric pressure. A five-gallon kerosene can could be

stood on and even jumped on without visibly deforming it. But

when a vacuum pump was attached to it and the air inside was

removed, the can crumpled into a flattened mass of metal. It

caved in under a column of air that reaches up 50,000 feet or

more from the surface of the earth. All that normally kept the can

intact was the pressure inside that equaled the pressure from

the outside.

"We have a work to do to resist temptation. Those who would

not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of

the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which

will suggest impure thoughts."—Messages

to Young People,

p. 285.

It is evident that the avenues of the soul are the five senses,

which must be guarded as are the approaches to a castle or the

airlanes into a modern metropolitan area in time of war.

It is not enough to select what is true. Even the news and

history past and present will be filtered by the Christian. "Books

on sensational topics, published and circulated as a money-

making scheme, might better never be read by the youth. There

is a satanic fascination in such books. The heartsickening re-

cital of crimes and atrocities has a bewitching power upon

many, exciting them to see what they can do to bring themselves

into notice, even by the wickedest deeds. The enormities, the

cruelties, the licentious practices, portrayed in some of the

strictly historical writings have acted as leaven on many minds,

leading to the commission of similar acts. . . .

" ... These horrible particulars need not be lived over, and no

one who believes the truth for this time should act a part in

perpetuating the memory of

them."—Messages to Young

People,

p. 284.

THINK IT THROUGH

"Our institutions of learning may swing into worldly conform-

ity. Step by step they may advance to the world; but they are

prisoners of hope, and God will correct and enlighten them, and

bring them back to their upright position of distinction from the

world."—Fundamentals of Christian Education,

p. 290.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 38, 39.

Education-A Total Experience

LESSON 8



❑

Friday

August 18

Part 6

CHANGED BY

BEHOLDING

In what words do the Scriptures dramatize the fact that we

are indeed influenced by what we see and hear?

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory

of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to

glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18).

"Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is

the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when

ye turn to the left" (Ise. 30:21).

In the early days of Western education children were often

required to practice handwriting by copying the same line many

times over. A child might do well the first time he imitated the

model written for him at the top of the sheet by the teacher. But

if he modeled the third line on the second, and the fourth on the

third, et cetera, the last might be totally distorted and unrecog-

nizable. How important to keep the eye on the top line, on the

perfect model!

Ellen White's appeal to church leaders might well apply to

every Christian who teaches others:

that I could command

language of sufficient force to make the impression that I wish

to make upon my fellow-laborers in the gospel. My brethren,

you are handling the words of life; you are dealing with minds

that are capable of the highest development. Christ crucified,

Christ risen, Christ ascended into the heavens, Christ coming

again, should so soften, gladden, and fill the mind of the minis-

ter that he will present these truths to the people in love and

deep earnestness. The minister will then be lost sight of and

Jesus will be made manifest.

"Lift up Jesus, you that teach the people, lift Him up in ser-

mon, in song, in prayer. Let all your powers be directed to

pointing souls, confused, bewildered, lost, to the 'Lamb of God.'

Lift Him up, the risen Saviour, and say to all who hear, Come to

Him who 'hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us.' Let the

science of salvation be the burden of every sermon, the theme

of every song. Let it be poured forth in every supplication. Bring

nothing into your preaching to supplement Christ, the wisdom

and power of God. Hold forth the word of life, presenting Jesus

as the hope of the penitent and the stronghold of every believer.

Reveal the way of peace to the troubled and the despondent,

and show forth the grace and completeness of the Saviour."—

Gospel Workers,

pp. 159, 160.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

p. 83.

"The same came to Jesus by night,

and said unto him, Rabbi, we know

that thou art a teacher come from

God" (John 3:2).

The new birth, a complete change in

the direction of one's life as a result of

a unique, unforgettable experience

—such is the education offered by the

Teacher come from God. Jesus'

answer to Nicodemus' recognition of

His mission as a teacher was

forthright. It was a clear, unmistakable

objective: "Ye must be born again."

A personal experience in

conversion—from the flesh to the

spirit, from darkness to light, from sin

to holiness—is the prime

requirement, the credential, of the

Christian teacher. "Art thou a master

of Israel, and knowest not these

things? Verily, verily I say unto thee,

We speak that we do know, and testify

that we have seen" (verses 10, 11).

These were Jesus' telling comments to

Nicodemus. They apply today to

parents, to college professors, to

Sabbath School class leaders, and

academy and church school teachers.

They apply to every Christian whose

influence over others, even though

unconscious, makes him a teacher.

(But if the blind lead the blind, both

fall in the ditch together.)

Have you forgotten? "You were

spiritually dead through your sins and

failures, all the time that you followed

this world's ideas of living, and obeyed

the evil ruler of the spiritual

realm—who is indeed fully operative

today in those who disobey God. We

all lived like that in the past, and

followed the desires and imaginings of

our lower nature, being in fact under

the wrath of God by nature, like

everyone else. But even though we

were dead in our sins God, who is rich

in mercy, because of the great love he

had for us, gave us life together with

Christ—it is, remember, by grace that

you are saved—and has lifted us to

take our place with him in Christ Jesus

in the Heavens. Thus he shows for all

the ages to come the tremendous

generosity of the grace and kindness

he has expressed towards us in Christ

Jesus." "Do not lose sight of the fact

that you were born 'gentiles', known

by those whose bodies were

circumcised by the hand of man as 'the

uncircumcised' " (Eph. 2:1-7, 11,

Phillips).

"God . . . gave us life together with

Christ." Jesus Himself expressed this

objective when He said, "I am come

that they might have life, and that they

might have it more abundantly" (John

10:10). The abundance is one of

quality and of quantity. "Thou hast

given him power over all flesh, that he

should give eternal life to as many as

thou hast given him. And this is life

eternal, that they might know thee the

only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom

thou hast sent" (John 17:2, 3).

In a world where "your iniquities

have separated between you and your

God" (lsa. 59:2), Jesus' purpose was

"that they all may be one; as thou,

Father, art in me, and I in thee, that

they also may be one in us" (John

17:21). The whole intercessory prayer

of John 17 is a declaration of

purpose—a detailing of the kind of

new life He envisioned for His

disciples, then and now—"that they

might have my joy fulfilled in

themselves" (verse 13), "that they also

might be sanctified through the

truth"(verse 19), "that they may be

made perfect in one, and that the

world may know that thou hast sent

me, and hast loved them" (verse 23),

"that they ... be with me where I am;

that they may behold my glory, which

thou hast given me" (verse 24), "that

the love wherewith thou hast loved me

may be in them" (verse 26).

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Teacher From God

(John 3:2)

New Birth

(John 3:3)

Sanctification

(John 17:17)

Unity

(John 17:21)

S. Love

(John 13:34)

6. This World and the Next

(John 14:1-3)

LESSON 9 August 20-26

9. The Teacher Sent

From God-Objectives

The Teacher Sent From God-Objectives

LESSON 9

❑

Sunday

August 20



Part 1



What name did Nicodemus, a prominent Jewish leader, give



TEACHER



to Jesus in recognition of the work he saw Him do?

FROM GOD

THINK IT THROUGH

"The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him,

Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no

man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be

with him" (John

3:2).

"In the Teacher sent from God, heaven gave to men its best

and greatest. He who had stood in the councils of the Most High,

who had dwelt in the innermost sanctuary of the Eternal, was

the One chosen to reveal in person to humanity the knowledge

God."—Education,

p. 73.

Jesus is the Great Physician, and the Scripture often calls Him

a preacher or refers to His preaching. But this lesson singles out

His work as a teacher, a Teacher whose objective was to restore

in man the knowledge of the true God in a world full of miscon-

ceptions about Him. (See John 1:18.)

"As the evil passions and purposes of men banished God

from their thoughts, so forgetfulness of Him inclined them more

strongly to evil. The heart in love with sin clothed Him with its

own attributes, and this conception strengthened the power of

sin. Bent on self-pleasing, men came to regard God as such a

one as themselves—a Being whose aim was self-glory, whose

requirements were suited to His own pleasure; a Being by whom

men were lifted up or cast down according as they helped or

hindered His selfish purpose. The lower classes regarded the

Supreme Being as one scarcely differing from their oppressors,

save by exceeding them in power. . .

"There was but one hope for the human race—that into this

mass of discordant and corrupting elements might be cast a

new leaven; that there might be brought to mankind the power

of a new life; that the knowledge of God might be restored to the

world.

"Christ came to restore this knowledge. He came to set aside

the false teaching by which those who claimed to know God had

misrepresented Him. He came to manifest the nature of His law,

to reveal in His own character the beauty of holiness."—

Education,

pp. 75, 76.

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his

going forth is prepared as the morning" (Hosea 6:3). "Many

have a twilight perception of Christ's excellence, and their

hearts thrill with joy. . . .

" . .. You have seen but the first rays of the early dawn of His

glory."—Gospel

Workers,

p. 274.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 73-75.

The Teacher Sent From God-Objectives

LESSON 9

❑

Monday

August 21



Part 2



What was the supreme objective Jesus sought to attain in

NEW BIRTH teaching Nicodemus, who came to Him by night in search of

wisdom?

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto

thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom

of God" (John

3:3).

The new birth represents a complete change in the direction

of one's life, a radical change far deeper than external be-

havioral objectives so popular in current educational vocab-

ularies. It represents a complete change in motivation, a new

fountain for the stream of human life. Paul represents it, in

Romans 6, as the death of the old life and a resurrection to new

life, symbolized in baptism by immersion. The new life was

exemplified in Jesus' own conduct, and, in the Sermon on the

Mount, He also described in words the characteristics of the

citizens in the kingdom He had come to establish.

"The beatitudes were His greeting to the whole human family.

Looking upon the vast throng gathered to listen to the Sermon

on the Mount, He seemed for the moment to have forgotten that

He was not in heaven, and He used the familiar salutation of the

world of light. From His lips flowed blessings as the gushing

forth of a long-sealed fountain."—Education, p. 79.

The new life that follows the new birth is, of course, the

embodiment in human life of the life of God, the life of love for

others expressed in the two tables of the law, which Jesus not

only identified for the scribe who queried Him about the

greatest commandment, but applied in His explanation of the

spiritual nature of the law in Matthew 5.

As Michelangelo could see a Moses in the rock from the

quarry, so Jesus could see beneath a rough exterior the promise

of a reborn son of God. "In the light of His purity, men saw

themselves unclean, their life's aims mean and false. Yet He

drew them. He who had created man, understood the value of

humanity.... In every human being, however fallen, He beheld a

son of God, one who might be restored to the privilege of his

divine relationship.

" 'God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world;

but that the world through Him might be saved.' John 3:17."—

Education,

p. 79.



THINK IT THROUGH



Am I able to see the gleam of heaven in the uncut diamonds

that surround me?



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 76-79.

The Teacher Sent From God-Objectives

LESSON 9

❑

Tuesday

August 22



Part 3



In what other words did Jesus express His desire regarding

SANCTIFICATION the changes He wished to see in the lives of his students?

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John

17:17).

The new life following the new birth is a progressive growth

toward likeness to the character of God.

To sanctify is to make holy; and to be holy is to be "spiritually

whole, sound, or perfect: of unimpaired innocence or proved

virtue: pure in heart: godly: pious."—Webster's

Third New In-

ternational Dictionary,

unabridged.

"He who is being sanctified by the truth will be self-

controlled, and will follow in the footsteps of Christ until grace

is lost in glory. The righteousness by which we are justified is

imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is im-

parted. The first is our title to heaven, the second is our fitness

for heaven."—Messages

to Young People,

p. 35.

Much is made in the educational world today of education's

objectives in the areas of knowledge, attitudes, and skills.

It is encouraging to see educators state these objectives in

terms of the students' behavior rather than the students' words.

The paragraph quoted above also contains these sentences:

"Righteousness within is testified to by righteousness without.

He who is righteous within is not hard-hearted and unsympa-

thetic, but day by day he grows into the image of Christ, going

on from strength to strength."—Page 35.

"Erroneous theories of sanctification, . . . springing from

neglect or rejection of the divine law, have a prominent place in

the religious movements of the day. These theories are both

false in doctrine and dangerous in practical results; and the fact

that they are so generally finding favor, renders it doubly essen-

tial that all have a clear understanding of what the Scriptures

teach upon this point. . . .

" ... And since the law of God is 'holy, and just, and good,' a

transcript of the divine perfection, it follows that a character

formed by obedience to that law will be holy. Christ is a perfect

example of such a character. He says: 'I have kept My Father's

commandments.' I do always those things that please Him.'

John 15:10; 8:29. The followers of Christ are to become like

Him—by the grace of God to form characters in harmony with

the principles of His holy law. This is Bible sanctification."—The

Great Controversy,

p. 469.



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 80-83.

The Teacher Sent From God-Objectives

LESSON 9

❑

Wednesday

August 23

Part 4



What additional objective expressed by Jesus in His work

UNITY



for His disciples is especially significant in today's complex

and divided world?

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in

thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may

believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:21).

The parable or illustration of the vine, to which Jesus had

pointed the disciples earlier, on the same evening of the inter-

cessory prayer from which our key text is taken, emphasized the

necessity of union between Christ, the vine, and His disciples,

the branches.

They were walking in the light of the paschal full moon from

the upper chamber toward Gethsemane. This was the eve of

their "graduation" from the school of Christ, and their "com-

mencement" in their further training under His Holy Spirit.

Jesus knew of the selfish striving that had divided them before

the supper, and He longed for the achievement of this important

goal of unity before sending them into a world divided by lan-

guage and race and culture and sinful human nature.

Today rapid transportation, as well as other types of com-

munication, make even more obvious the divided nature of the

world. In view of this, Jesus' prayer takes on new meaning in the

context of the world church.

"Christ sought to teach the disciples the truth that in God's

kingdom there are no territorial lines, no caste, no aristocracy;

that they must go to all nations, bearing to them the message of

a Saviour's love. But not until later did they realize in all its

fullness that God 'hath made of one blood all nations of men for

to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the

times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that

they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and

find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.' Acts

17:26, 27.

"In these first disciples was presented marked diversity. They

were to be the world's teachers, and they represented widely

varied types of character. In order successfully to carry forward

the work to which they had been called, these men, differing in

natural characteristics and in habits of life, needed to come into

unity of feeling, thought, and action. This unity it was Christ's

object to secure."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 20.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 9, pp. 179-183.

The Teacher Sent From God-Objectives

LESSON 9

❑

Thursday

August 24



Parl 5



How did Jesus summarize the life principle which He wished



LOVE



His students to live by?

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one

another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another"

(John 13:34).

The steps in mental perception are often listed in the follow-

ing progression, from the simple to the complex: knowledge,

comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evalua-

tion. Jesus' objective for His disciples, that they should love one

another, obviously was and is attained at various levels.

There are four kinds of love: (1) Love of self for the sake of self

(narcissism) evokes no returned love from anyone. (2) Love of

others for the sake of self, which abounds in the world and in the

church—kind words are spoken, a compliment is paid, flowers

or candy are given, with the conscious or unconscious desire of

being loved in return. (3) Love of others for the sake of others,

which is the love Jesus came to the world to teach and

exemplify—the Christian's own emotional needs are fully satis-

fied in Christ, and he can love and give without expecting

anything in return. (4) Love of self for the sake of others—the

coming apart to rest, the taking of the vacation, the temperance

in work and eating—this is motivated by the knowledge that the

happiness of others depends on the results of these actions

taken in fulfillment of God's instructions to His workers.

The statement that "the truths of the divine word can be best

appreciated by an intellectual Christian"

(Counsels to

Teachers,

p. 361) should lead us to seek to love not only with all

the heart but also with the mind and the whole being. (See Matt.

22:36-40.)

"To the disciples this commandment was new; for they had

not loved one another as Christ had loved them. He saw that

new ideas and impulses must control them; that new principles

must be practiced by them; through His life and death they were

to receive a new conception of love. The command to love one

another had a new meaning in the light of His self-sacrifice. The

whole work of grace is one continual service of love, of self-

denying, self-sacrificing effort. During every hour of Christ's

sojourn upon the earth, the love of God was flowing from Him in

irrepressible streams. All who are imbued with His Spirit will

love as He loved."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 677, 678.



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"God's Love For Man," pp. 9-12.

The

Teacher Sent From God-Objectives

LESSON 9

❑

Friday

August 25



Part 6



What indication did Jesus give that His purposes for His

THIS WORLD disciples extended beyond the present world?

AND THE NEXT

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe

also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were

not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and

receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be

also" (John 14:1-3).

Some Christians are defensive or embarrassed about their

church schools because they think in terms of buildings or

facilities, which may not appear to be as splendid as multimil-

lion dollar plants built with public funds.

On the contrary, they should realize that the scope of Chris-

tian education is much broader both in function and in time

than public education is designed to be. Speaking of the world's

education at large, and of the limited thinking of many Chris-

tians, God's messenger says (in a book which has been recog-

nized by governments to be valid enough to be printed on

government presses and distributed by governments to their

teachers):

"Our ideas of education take too narrow and too low a range.

There is need of a broader scope, a higher aim. True education

means more than the pursuel of a certain course of study. It

means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to

do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence

possible to

man."—Education,

p. 13.

The whole

being

is amplified to mean "the harmonious de-

velopment of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual

powers." The whole period of existence possible to man is

referred to when the statement is made that education "pre-

pares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the

higher joy of wider service in the world to come."

The same book, on page 82, describes the teaching of Jesus:

"In His teaching were embraced the things of time and the

things of eternity—things seen, in their relation to things un-

seen, the passing incidents of common life and the solemn

issues of the life to come.

"The things of this life He placed in their true relation, as

subordinate to those of eternal interest; but He did not ignore

their importance. He taught that heaven and earth are linked

together, and that a knowledge of divine truth prepares man

better to perform the duties of daily life."



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 13, 14.

LESSON 10 August 27 to September 2

10. The Teacher Sent

From God-Methods

"Why have ye not brought him? The

officers answered, Never man spake

like this man" (John 7:45, 46).

"They were astonished at his

doctrine: for he taught them as one

that had authority, and not as the

scribes" (Mark 1:22).

Jesus! His very name means

Saviour, "for he shall save his people

from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). To every

Christian He is, first of all, the One

who reached down into the quagmire

of sin and lifted him or her into the

clean sunshine. But each sees in Him

something more, according to his or

her special station in life.

the

carpenter, to the fisherman, to the

shepherd, there is in His life or in His

stories an element with which to

identify. And to the teacher (whether

parent or professor or simply the

Christian who wishes to teach others

the way of life), He is the model of

skillful dealing with human minds, the

magnet that attracted little children.

This week's lesson seeks to point

out that Jesus had a perfect

understanding of human nature, and

consequently could mold His

methods to take advantage of His

perfect understanding. The price of

His knowledge was high: complete

identification, forever, with our fallen

race. His stories and questions; His

choice of classroom; His musical

voice; His pure, simple, clear

language; and the love expressed in

His look and tone of voice; His

adaptation of His message to suit the

audience as He read their faces—all

these revealed that understanding

which the Maker has of that whith He

has made. We may couple with this the

communication possible only with a

Word that "was made flesh, and dwelt

among us" (John 1:14).

Wherever God has placed you, you

can rest assured that you can be a

teacher sent from God. "As thou hast

sent me into the world, even so have I

also sent them into the world" (John

17:18). You can speak with His

authority and boldness, even as you

may be like the servant who does "not

cry or lift up his voice, or make it

known in the street," because your

one-to-one teaching deals with souls

in the balance; they are like the "dimly

burning wick" that must not be

quenched (Isa. 42:2, 3, RSV).

How keenly, then, and how

perceptively you should look at what

He was and how He operated in

revealing the Father so as to obtain

changes in those who saw Him.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Common Ground

(John 1:14)

Stories From Life

(Matt. 13:34)

Outdoor Classroom Simplicity

(Matt. 13:1, 2)

Thought-provoking Questions

(Matt. 22:20, 31, 32, 45)

Formal Presentation of Truth

(John 7:45, 46)

Individualization

(John 3:1-16; 4:1-30, 39-42)

The Teacher Sent From God-Methods

LESSON 10

❑

Sunday

August 27



Part 1



"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we



COMMON GROUND



beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the

Father), full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

One of the most important requirements for the communica-

tion of knowledge is that the communicator and the com-

municatee have a common language (verbal or nonverbal), a set

of signals that mean approximately the same thing to both of

them. The signals may be spoken words, hand signals, facial

expression, written words, wigwags of a flag, Morse code, short

and long blinks of a flashlight, or groups of digits in numerals

decipherable only with a codebook. But whatever the medium

or the signal, the communicator and the communicatee must

have a common background of experience to which each sym-

bol can be referred for meaning. The little child must have seen

and touched and smelled and heard a cow and even tasted its

milk before the picture in the book or the letters C-O-W can have

for the child the same meaning that they have for the teacher.

What basis for communication did Jesus establish when He

sought to teach man about God? John 1:14; Heb. 2:14-18;

4:15, 16.

Jesus sought and found the common ground upon which His

students could view the divine nature that was His objective for

them—from time to time they recognized divinity flashing

through His humanity. "He who seeks to transform humanity

must himself understand humanity."

"Born amidst surroundings the rudest, sharing a peasant's

home, a peasant's fare, a craftsman's occupation, living a life of

obscurity, identifying Himself with the world's unknown

toilers,—amidst these conditions and surroundings,—Jesus

followed the divine plan of education. . .

. . . Never another of woman born was so fiercely beset by

temptation; never another bore so heavy a burden of the world's

sin and pain. Never was there another whose sympathies were

so broad and so tender. A sharer in all the experiences of

humanity, He could feel not only for, but with, every burdened

and tempted and struggling

one."—Education,

pp. 77, 78.

Once communication was established on common ground,

what did Jesus communicate, and how? John 1:18; 13:15;

15:10.

"What He taught, He lived.... Thus in His life, Christ's words

had perfect illustration and support. And more than this; what

He taught, He was. His words were the expression, not only of

His own life experience, but of His own character. Not only did

He teach the truth, but He was the truth. It was this that gave His

teaching,

power."—Education,

pp. 78, 79.

FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"Teaching in Parables," pp. 17-21.

The Teacher Sent From God-Methods

LESSON 10

❑

Monday

August 28



Part 2



What was Jesus' favorite means of transmitting His mes-

STORIES sage so that all levels of people could benefit?

FROM LIFE

"All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude In para-

bles; and without a parable spake he not unto them" (Matt.

13:34).

About forty examples of Jesus' parables have been preserved

for us in Scripture. These stories disarmed prejudice, caught

the attention, and in a delayed-action sequence drove home

their meaning after Jesus was no longer present, when the

scenes of nature or the events to which He had linked spiritual

truth were repeated in aftertime.

"His messages of mercy were varied to suit His audience. He

knew 'how to speak a word in season to him who is weary' (Isa.

50:4); for grace was poured upon His lips, that He might convey

to men in the most attractive way the treasures of truth. He had

tact to meet the prejudiced minds, and surprise them with illus-

trations that won their attention. Through the imagination He

reached the heart. His illustrations were taken from the things of

daily life, and although they were simple, they had in them a

wonderful depth of meaning. The birds of the air, the lilies of the

field, the seed, the shepherd and the sheep,—with these objects

Christ illustrated immortal truth; and ever afterward, when His

hearers chanced to see these things of nature, they recalled His

words. Christ's illustrations constantly repeated His lessons."

—The Desire of Ages,

p. 254.

What was one of the reasons why Jesus used this powerful

means of conveying truth? Matt. 13:13-15.

Jesus quoted from Isaiah 6:9, 10, as Paul did, to describe the

besotted condition of people's minds, which required a very

special, captivating approach. The enemy had created this con-

dition lest they "should understand with their heart, and should

be converted, and I should heal them." Isaiah was assured that a

remnant would hear and be saved, and Jesus also will "see of

the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isa. 53:11).

In the

SDA Bible Commentary,

vol. 5, pp. 205-207, (and in the

appendix of helps in some Bibles) is a listing of the parables of

Jesus. On page 192 there is a table which summarizes the

features of each Gospel. It shows that Matthew records 21

parables, Mark 6, Luke 26, and John none.



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 113-120.

The Teacher Sent From God-Methods

LESSON 10

❑

Tuesday

August 29



Part 3



What informal settings did Jesus use for His teaching?

OUTDOOR



CLASSROOM



"The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the

SIMPLICITY sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto

him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole

multitude stood on the shore" (Matt. 13:1, 2).

Picture yourself standing with the rest of the people on the

beach. While Jesus tells His simple stories from the boat, you

feel the kiss of the breeze on your cheek, and your eyes rest on

the deep blue of the lake or on the hazy blue-green of the

mountainous shore beyond. Or you may be sitting on the grassy

hillside plucking a wild flower with one hand while your eyes

scrutinize the lovely face of this Teacher whose musical voice

does something to set the echoes ringing inside the hallways of

your soul.

"To him who learns thus to interpret its teachings, all nature

becomes illuminated; the world is a lesson book, life a school.

The unity of man with nature and with God, the universal domin-

ion of law, the results of transgression, cannot fail of impressing

the mind and molding the

character."—Education,

p. 100.



THINK IT THROUGH



Why do you think it is said (in Mark 12:37) that the common

people heard Jesus gladly? (See also Luke 4:32; Matt. 7:29.)

No doubt there was more than one reason. Was it because His

questions, immediately preceding this statement, silenced the

haughty, upper-class rulers or the very wise scribes? Was it

because His simple dress and speech made them feel He was

their champion against the oppressive requirements of their

leaders? What other reasons can you think of that might apply?

"Jesus met the people on their own ground, as one who was

acquainted with their perplexities. He made truth beautiful by

presenting it in the most direct and simple way. His language

was pure, refined, and clear as a running stream. His voice was

as music to those who had listened to the monotonous tones of

the rabbis. But while His teaching was simple, He spoke as one

having authority. This characteristic set His teaching in contrast

with that of all others. The rabbis spoke with doubt and hesi-

tancy, as if the Scriptures might be interpreted to mean one

thing or exactly the opposite. The hearers were daily involved in

greater uncertainty. But Jesus taught the Scriptures as of un-

questionable authority. Whatever His subject, it was presented

with power, as if His words could not be controverted."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 253.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 252-255.

The Teacher Sent From God-Methods

LESSON 10

❑

Wednesday

August 30



Part 4



What do you think Jesus was trying to accomplish in asking



THOUGHT-



each of the following questions?

PROVOKING



QUESTIONS



"Whose is this image and superscription?" (Matt. 22: 20).

"If David then called him Lord, how is he his son?" (Matt.

22:45).

"But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not

read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the

God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of

Jacob?" (Matt. 22:31, 32). (Notice that Jesus answered His

own question.)

You might enjoy taking a red-letter Bible, in which the words

spoken by Jesus stand out because they are printed in red ink,

and try to find questions that illustrate the way in which Jesus

used questions to:

Elicit faith (necessary for healing He was about to perform).

Draw attention to a truth He was about to pronounce.

Draw from the lips of His opposers a truth which they might

have rejected if He Himself had said it.

Parry questions that were intended to embarrass Him and

undermine the work He was doing.

Elicit a logical sequence of statements conducive to truth.

Present His listeners with a choice.

Draw attention to a passage of Scripture.



THINK IT THROUGH



After reading the following paragraph, ask yourself if Jesus'

use of questions has applications for family worship.

"The teaching of the Bible should have our freshest thought,

our best methods, and our most earnest effort.

"In arousing and strengthening a love for Bible study, much

depends on the use of the hour of worship. The hours of morn-

ing and evening worship should be the sweetest and most

helpful of the day. Let it be understood that into these hours no

troubled, unkind thoughts are to intrude; that parents and chil-

dren assemble to meet with Jesus, and to invite into the home

the presence of holy angels. Let the services be brief and full of

life, adapted to the occasion, and varied from time to time. Let

all join in the Bible reading and learn and often repeat God's

law. It will add to the interest of the children if they are some-

times permitted to select the reading. Question them upon it,

and let them ask questions. Mention anything that will serve to

illustrate its meaning. When the service is not thus made too

lengthy, let the little ones take part in the prayer, and let them

join in song, if it be but a single

verse."—Education,

p. 186.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 601-609.

The Teacher Sent From God-Methods

LESSON 10

❑

Thursday

August 31



Part 5



How was Jesus evaluated as a public speaker, even by the

FORMAL agents of His enemies?

PRESENTATION



OF TRUTH



"Why have ye not brought Him? The officers answered,

Never man spake like this man" (John 7:45, 46).

The lecture method, the formal presentation of a subject in

logical sequence to a group of interested learners, has always

been one of the tools of the teacher. Jesus was skilled in this as

in other approaches to the minds of men. The Gospel of

Matthew contains six such lectures or sermons: (1) the Sermon

on the Mount, chapters 5 through 7; (2) instructions to the

twelve disciples, chapter 10; (3) parables of the kingdom, chap-

ter 13; (4) human relations, chapter 18; (5) denunciation of

hypocrisy, chapter 23; (6) final events, chapters 24, 25.

A skilled speaker will study his audience and structure his

material into these steps: obtain attention, create a sense of

need, satisfy the need, visualize what this satisfaction will mean

to his hearers, and usually, a call to action.

The chapter, "At Capernaum" in the book

The Desire of Ages,

contains one of our best descriptions of Jesus as a public

speaker. In a paragraph already quoted we have noted His

audience analysis: "His messages of mercy were varied to suit

His audience."—Page 254. Notice how He interacted with indi-

viduals in His audience:

"Jesus watched with deep earnestness the changing counte-

nances of His hearers. The faces that expressed interest and

pleasure gave Him great satisfaction. As the arrows of truth

pierced to the soul, breaking through the barriers of selfish-

ness, and working contrition, and finally gratitude, the Saviour

was made glad. When His eye swept over the throng of listeners,

and He recognized among them the faces He had before seen,

His countenance lighted up with joy. He saw in them hopeful

subjects for His kingdom. When the truth, plainly spoken,

touched some cherished idol, He marked the change of

countenance, the cold, forbidding look, which told that the light

was unwelcome. When He saw men refuse the message of

peace, His heart was pierced to the very depths."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 255.

What were the subjects of Jesus' discourses?

"Jesus had nothing to do with the various subjects of dissen-

sion among the Jews. It was His work to present the truth. His

words shed a flood of light upon the teachings of patriarchs and

prophets, and the Scriptures came to men as a new revelation.

Never before had His hearers perceived such a depth of mean-

ing in the word of God."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 253.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 258-261.

The Teacher Sent From God-Methods

LESSON 10

❑

Friday

September 1

Part 6

INDIVIDUALIZATION

What examples can be cited to show that Jesus paid atten-

tion to individual differences in learning readiness and learn-

ing ability? Read John 3:1-6 and 4:1-30, 39-42.

In addition to the private interview given by Jesus to

Nicodemus at night, and to the personal work done for the

Samaritan woman by the well at Sychar, we have other exam-

ples of Jesus' work for individuals. The first five disciples were

contacted individually, as described in John 1. To Philip He

revealed His knowledge of the latter's personal devotional life.

To the fishermen, in Matthew 4, He said, "I will make you fishers

of men." To Levi Matthew and to Zacchaeus, and even to Pon-

tius Pilate, He gave individualized attention.

Jesus did not have a home of His own during the years of His

ministry, but the home of Lazarus and Martha and Mary in

Bethany was enriched by His presence and through the per-

sonal ministry highlighted by the resurrection of Lazarus re-

corded in John 11.

Even in His public ministry, individual differences in learning

readiness and learning ability were taken into account:

"Deep, unprejudiced thinkers received His teaching, and

found that it tested their wisdom. They marveled at the spiritual

truth expressed in the simplest language. The most highly edu-

cated were charmed with His words, and the uneducated were

always profited. He had a message for the illiterate; and He

made even the heathen to understand that He had a message for

them.

"His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon

weary and troubled hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry

enemies He was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. The

beauty of His countenance, the loveliness of His character,

above all, the love expressed in look and tone, drew to Him all

who were not hardened in unbelief. Had it not been for the

sweet, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word,

He would not have attracted the large congregations that He

did. The afflicted ones who came to Him felt that He linked His

interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they

desired to know more of the truths He taught. Heaven was

brought near. They longed to abide in His presence, that the

comfort of His love might be with them continually."—The

De-

sire of Ages,

pp. 254, 255.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 84-96. Note the individualized way in which

Jesus dealt with John, Peter, and Judas.

"Now when they saw the boldness

of Peter and John, and perceived that

they were uneducated, common men,

they wondered; and they recognized

that they had been with

Jesus"

(Acts

4:13, RSV).

A successful educator likes to see

his objectives become results and

desires to ascertain if this has

happened. Jesus had the same

objective for all the disciples, but the

result differed in the case of one of

them.

Evaluation is an indispensable

element of intelligent, responsible

living in any area of life. For the

businessman, it may be a financial

statement and an inventory at the end

of a fiscal period. For the

manufacturer, the measurement and

performance of the working parts of

his product. For the mountain

climber, the challenge of the climb

and the thrill of accomplishment as he

stands on the peak.

In education, evaluation is a

measure of the school's accountability

to society for its investment in

buildings, equipment, and staff

salaries. It may be reflected in analyses

of a teacher's grade distributions,

average scores on standardized tests,

or checklists regarding performance

in the area of physical skills. But in the

long run, the overall impact of a school

is most dramatically revealed in a

follow-up study of its graduates, their

performance on the battlefields of life,

their contribution to the century in

which they lived.

The Jewish leaders' evaluation of

Peter and John was of the latter type.

The Teacher was no longer on the

scene, but the results of His work were

dramatically evident for all to see. And

Peter and John and the other disciples

were only the initial links in a chain

reaction that reaches down through

the centuries of the history of the

Christian church.

Because God Himself is limited by

His own nature, which requires a

voluntary service of love, and has

created man with the power of choice,

Jesus was not 100 percent successful in

His educational effort. He lost one out

of twelve in His class—that one was

Judas. On Judas He bestowed

unequaled, patient effort, but all in

vain. Parents who mourn the tragic

loss of one or more of their children

can know that Jesus sympathizes with

them. But while there is life there is

hope, and they should work as Jesus

did, who "having loved his own which

were in the world, he loved them unto

the end" (John 13:1).

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Indelible Impressions

(1 John 1:1-3; 2 Peter 1:16-18)

"They Had Been With Jesus"

(Acts 4:13)

"Greater Works Than These"

(Acts 2:41; 3:6)

Reaction to His Doctrine

(Matt. 22:22, 33, 46)

One Disappointment

(John 13:21)

6."Stars Forever and Ever" (Dan.12:3)

LESSON 11 September 3-9

11.11ie Teacher Sent

From God Results

The Teacher Sent From God-Results

LESSON 11



❑

Sunday

September 3



Part 1



What evidence do we have that Jesus' life left an indelible



INDELIBLE



impression in the minds of those who lived with Him?

IMPRESSIONS

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,

which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked

upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; ... that

which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John

1:1-3).

"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when

we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord

Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.... this

voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with

him in the holy mount" (2 Peter 1:16-18).

Both Peter and John remembered very vividly, Peter after 30

years and John after 60 years, the scenes from the mount of

transfiguration, and the whole panorama of the wonderful life of

Jesus. John says, in verse 2 of the key passage quoted above,

"For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear

witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the

Father, and was manifested unto us."

One of the results of Jesus' teaching was this vivid recollec-

tion in the minds of the disciples themselves, as they relived the

experiences they had shared with Jesus. These mental images

no doubt helped to shape their own conduct as they faced

situations similar to those that Jesus faced.

"They saw their own weakness; they saw something of the

greatness of the work committed to them; they felt their need of

their Master's guidance at every step.

"They knew that His personal presence was no longer to be

with them, and they recognized, as they had never recognized

before, the value of the opportunities that had been theirs to

walk and talk with the Sent of God. Many of His lessons, when

spoken, they had not appreciated or understood; now they

longed to recall these lessons, to hear again His words."—

Education,

p. 94.

The Holy Spirit had been promised to "bring all things to your

remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26).

Certainly this was one reason why the teachings of Christ were

so effective, as was exemplified in what His disciples wrote

many decades after the fact. Today, in the study of the Bible, we

should invoke the same Spirit that guided the writing of the

Book to interpret vividly for our benefit the events and thoughts

recorded in it so many centuries ago.



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 262-265.

The Teacher Sent From God-Results

LESSON 11

❑

Monday

September 4

Part 2

"THEY HAD BEEN'

WITH JESUS"

What did Jewish leaders see in Jesus' former students?

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and

perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they

wondered; and they recognized that they had been with

Jesus" (Acts 4:13, RSV).

Peter and John had not been intimidated by the threats of the

highest authorities in the Jewish nation. What a contrast to the

night in Gethsemane when these authorities had seen the disci-

ples scatter in fear, and later when Peter had denied with curs-

ing that he ever knew Jesus! What made the difference?

"For these disciples the mission of Christ finally ac-

complished its purpose. Little by little His example and His

lessons of self-abnegation molded their characters. His death

destroyed their hope of worldly greatness. The fall of Peter, the

apostasy of Judas, their own failure in forsaking Christ in His

anguish and peril, swept away their self-sufficiency. . . .

"No longer were they ignorant and uncultured. No longer

were they a collection of independent units or of discordant and

conflicting elements. No longer were their hopes set on worldly

greatness. They were of 'one accord,' of one mind and one soul.

Christ filled their thoughts. The advancement of His kingdom

was their aim. In mind and charauto

:ney had become like their

Master; and men 'took knowledge of them, that they had been

with Jesus.' Acts 4:13.

"Then was there such a revelation of the glory of Christ as had

never before been witnessed by mortal man. Multitudes who

had reviled His name and despised His power confessed them-

selves disciples of the Crucified. Through the co-operation of

the divine Spirit the labors of the humble men whom Christ had

chosen stirred the world. To every nation under heaven was the

gospel carried in a single generation."—Education, pp. 93-96.



THINK IT THROUGH



Has your contact with Jesus made any changes in your

personality?

Is fear compatible with a genuine conversion and compan-

ionship with Christ? (See 1 John 4:18.)

"Can the world see Jesus in you?

Can the world see Jesus in me?

Does your love to him ring true

And your life and service, too?

Can the world see Jesus in you?"



FURTHER STUDY



The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 63-65;

Education,

pp. 265-267.

The Teacher Sent From God-Results

LESSON 11

❑

Thursday

September 7



Pad 5



What disappointment did Jesus experience?

ONE DISAP-



POINTMENT



"When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and

testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you

shall betray me" (John 13:21).

Parents may be sorely disappointed if their children, for

whom they have labored faithfully and sought to educate for

God, take a course directly contrary to the life goal of their

parents. Such may experience the sympathy of Jesus who Him-

self lost 8 percent of His twelve disciples.

"With Judas an element of antagonism was introduced

among the disciples. In connecting himself with Jesus he had

responded to the attraction of His character and life. He had

sincerely desired a change in himself, and had hoped to experi-

ence this through a union with Jesus. But this desire did not

become predominant. That which ruled him was the hope of

selfish benefit in the worldly kingdom which he expected Christ

to establish. Though recognizing the divine power of the love of

Christ, Judas did not yield to its supremacy. He continued to

cherish his own judgment and opinions, his disposition to

criticize and condemn....

"Jesus, seeing that to antagonize was but to harden, re-

frained from direct conflict. The narrowing selfishness of Judas'

life, Christ sought to heal through contact with His own self-

sacrificing love.. ..

" ... Day after day, when the burden lay heaviest on His own

heart, He had borne the pain of continual contact with that

stubborn, suspicious, brooding spirit; He had witnessed and

labored to counteract among His disciples that continuous,

secret, and subtle antagonism. And all this that no possible

saving influence might be lacking to that imperiled sour—

Education,

pp. 91-93.



THINK IT THROUGH



Notice how Jesus turned a liability into an asset by the way

in which he dealt with Judas.

"So far as Judas himself was concerned, Christ's work of love

had been without avail. But not so as regards his fellow disci-

ples. To them it was a lesson of lifelong influence. Ever would its

example of tenderness and long-suffering mold their inter-

course with the tempted and the erring. And it had other les-

sons. At the ordination of the Twelve the disciples had greatly

desired that Judas should become one of their number.... In

the fate of Judas they saw the end to which self-serving

tends."—Education,

p. 93.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 719-722.

The Teacher Sent From God-Results

LESSON 11



❑

Friday

September 8

Part 6

"STARS FOREVER

AND EVER"

What special promise is made to those who accept the

challenge of being teachers?

"Those who are teachers shall then shine as the brightness

of the firmament and those who turned many to righteousness

as the stars for ever and ever" (Dan. 12:3, Berkeley).

The context of Daniel 12:3 makes it clear that this promise is

associated with the time of the end. The close of probation, the

time of trouble, the deliverance of God's people are past. The

partial resurrection has brought from the grave the outstanding

figures on both sides of the conflict of the ages to witness the

final events. Eternity is ushered in. Shining with the brightness

of the stars will be those who have, through their life and teach-

ing, influenced others toward righteousness. Among them we

can expect to see those who have been teachers for God. They

have taught at home, in the Sabbath School, or in a formal

school setting.

"All the perplexities of life's experience will then be made

plain. Where to us have appeared only confusion and disap-

pointment, broken purposes and thwarted plans, will be seen a

grand, overruling, victorious purpose, a divine harmony.

"There all who have wrought with unselfish spirit will behold

the fruit of their labors. The outworking of every right principle

and noble deed will be seen. Something of this we see here. But

how little of the result of the world's noblest work is in this life

manifest to the doer! How many toil unselfishly and unweariedly

for those who pass beyond their reach and knowledge! Parents

and teachers lie down in their last sleep, their lifework seeming

to have been wrought in vain; they know not that their faithful-

ness has unsealed springs of blessing that can never cease to

flow; only by faith they see the children they have trained be-

come a benediction and an inspiration of their fellow men, and

the influence repeat itself a thousandfold. Many a worker sends

out into the world messages of strength and hope and courage,

words that carry blessing to hearts in every land; but of the

results he, toiling in loneliness and obscurity, knows little. So

gifts are bestowed, burdens are borne, labor is done. Men sow

the seed from which, above their graves, others reap blessed

harvests. They plant trees, that others may eat the fruit. They are

content here to know that they have set in motion agencies for

good. In the hereafter the action and reaction of all these will be

seen."—Education,

pp. 305, 306.

FURTHER STUDY



Counsels to Teachers,

p. 104.

LESSON 12 September 10-16

12. The Holy Spirit as

an Educator

"The Comforter, which is the Holy

Ghost, whom the Father will send in

my name, he shall teach you all things,

and bring all things to your

remembrance, whatsoever I have said

unto you" (John 14:26).

A white sailboat moves briskly

across the blue of the bay, powered by

the invisible force of the wind.

A torrent of refreshingly cool water

gushes from the mountainside,

flowing in a never-ending stream to

quench the thirsty and to water the

desert and make it bloom.

The soothing touch of oil, used for

healing or for holy anointing, is as

meaningful as its steady glow when

feeding the flame in the virgin's lamp

or in the golden candlestick that

graces the holy place of the tabernacle

and the temple.

These are three material symbols of

the work of the Holy Spirit, but they

are subordinated in this week's lesson

to the living symbol, the teacher. The

Holy Spirit is the real Teacher, taking

the place of Christ after His departure.

The Spirit is the Teacher of the

extension school, unfettered by the

physical limitations of a single

campus. He is the Instructor who gives

in-service training to active

under-teachers who feel the need of

His specialized talents.

The promise of Christ, "He shall

teach you all things, and bring all

things to your remembrance,

whatsoever I have said unto you,"

bridges the Christian era and is as valid

today as when the words were spoken.

It underlies the choice of this lesson's

title, which is taken from the chapter

on the Holy Spirit in

Gospel Workers,

pp. 284-289. Three chapters on "The

Holy Spirit in Our Schools," found in

Counsels to Teachers,

pp. 357-376,

emphasize the importance that should

be given to the work of the Holy Spirit

among both teachers and students in

Seventh-day Adventist institutions.

What was said of the college faculty in

Battle Creek in the 1890s could

certainly be said of many Adventist

parents today: "Their halfheartedness

affects their teaching. The experience

that they do not desire for themselves

they are not anxious to see their pupils

gain. . . . Other blessings they desire;

but that which God is more willing to

give than a father is to give good gifts

to his children; that which is offered

abundantly, according to the infinite

fullness of God, and which, if

received, would bring all other

blessings in its train—what words shall

I use sufficiently to express what has

been done with reference to it? The

heavenly Messenger has been

repulsed."—Counsels

to Teachers,

pp. 357, 358.

"Have you not been afraid of the

Holy Spirit? At times it has come with

all-pervading influence into the school

at Battle Creek and into the schools in

other localities. Did you recognize it?

Did you accord it the honor due to a

heavenly Messenger? When the Spirit

seemed to be striving with the youth,

did you say, 'Let us put aside all study;

for it is evident that we have among us

a heavenly Guest. Let us give praise

and honor to God'? Did you, with

contrite hearts, bow in prayer with

your students, pleading that you might

receive the blessing that the Lord was

offering

you?"—Counsels to

Teachers,

p. 363.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

The Promise of the Comforter

(John 14:16, 17)

"The Comforter . . . Shall Teach

You"

(John 14:26)

An Omnipresent Teacher

(John 16:5-7)

Guide to All Truth

(John 16:12, 13)

Changed Behavior Through the

Spirit

(Rom. 8:2)

Insight Into the Future

(John 16:13)

The Holy Spirit as an Educator

LESSON 12



❑

Sunday

September 10



Part 1



What did Jesus promise His disciples on the eve of His

THE PROMISE OF crucifixion?

THE COMFORTER

"I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Com-

forter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of

truth, whom the world cannot receive" (John 14:16, 17).

The word translated "Comforter" is the same word translated

"Advocate" in First John 2:1.

Parakletos,

in the Greek, is com-

posed of two elements. The first means "beside," and the sec-

ond means to "be called." The Comforter stands beside me in

everyday life, puts His arm around me, and speaks to me words

of encouragement. The Advocate stands beside me in court,

puts His arm around me, and speaks to the Judge eloquent

words on my behalf.

Jesus, referred to as the Advocate in First John 2:1, is Himself

Parakletos.

This is why He promises in John 14:16 that the

Father will send

another Parakletos

to take Jesus' place now

that He is about to depart from their side.

The Holy Spirit was Christ's parting gift to His disciples. One

could almost say that this was their graduation gift, for it came

at the close of the three and one half years they had spent in the

school of Christ. It was a wise gift, for it anticipated a very real

need they would face as He sent them out into the world to be

His representatives.

"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," was

a promise fulfilled through the Holy Spirit. It was through the

Spirit that Christ would be at their sides to help them and direct

their efforts. The promise made to them applies to us today, at

the end of time.



THINK IT THROUGH



Did the early disciples have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?

"The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to

any race. Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit

was to be with His followers unto the end. From the Day of

Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all

who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His

service."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 49.

"The Comforter is ours as well as theirs. The Spirit furnishes

the strength that sustains striving, wrestling souls in every

emergency, amidst the hatred of the world, and the realization

of their own failures and mistakes. In sorrow and affliction,

when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we

feel helpless and alone,—these are the times when, in answer to

the prayer of faith, the Holy Spirit brings comfort to the

heart."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 51.



FURTHER STUDY



The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 47-50.

The Holy Spirit as an Educator

LESSON 12



❑

Monday

September 11



Part 2



What was to be one of the functions of the Holy Spirit?

"THE COMFORTER



. . . SHALL TEACH



"The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father

YOU" will send In my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring

all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto

you" (John 14:26).

Just as Jesus was a teacher, so His representative was also to

be a teacher to His disciples. The Holy Spirit was a follow-up, an

extension of the school of Christ. In a way, it was the real school

for which Christ's work had been only a preparation.

"Under the training of Christ the disciples had been led to feel

their need of the Spirit. Under the Spirit's teaching they received

the final qualification, and went forth to their lifework. No longer

were they ignorant and uncultured. No longer were they a col-

lection of independent units or discordant, conflicting ele-

ments. No longer were their hopes set on worldly greatness.

They were of 'one accord,' of one heart and of one soul.' Acts

2:46; 4:32. Christ filled their thoughts; the advancement of His

kingdom was their aim. In mind and character they had become

like their Master, and men 'took knowledge of them, that they

had been with Jesus.' Acts 4:13."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 45.

Today, even as in the first century of the Christian church,

God would use the Holy Spirit to educate and refine the workers

in His church, whether laymen or denominational employees.

"The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of

Christ. Those only who are thus taught of God, those only who

possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the

Christ-life is manifested, can stand as true representatives of

the Saviour.

"God takes men as they are, and educates them for His ser-

vice, if they will yield themselves to Him. The Spirit of God,

received into the soul, quickens all its faculties. Under the guid-

ance of the Holy Spirit, the mind that is devoted unreservedly

to God, develops harmoniously, and is strengthened to com-

prehend and fulfill the requirements of God. . . . The Christian

becomes like his Master in character. He has clearer, broader

views. His discernment is more penetrative, his judgment better

balanced. So quickened is he by the life-giving power of the Sun

of Righteousness, that he is enabled to bear much fruit to the

glory of

God."—Gospel Workers,

pp. 285, 286.

FURTHER STUDY



Gospel Workers,

pp. 284-289.



The Holy Spirit



as an Educator

LESSON 12



❑

Tuesday

September 12



Part 3



Why was it expedient for the disciples that Jesus should

AN OMNIPRESENT leave them?

TEACHER

"Now I go my way to him that sent me.... Sorrow hath filled

your heart. Nevertheless .. . it is expedient for you that I go

away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto

you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:5-7).

"Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place

personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go

to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth.

No one could then have any advantage because of his location

or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour

would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to

them than if He had not ascended on high."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 669.

Parents and teachers are often conscious of their limitations

in trying to know what is going on. The teacher turns his back to

the class while he writes on the board. The parent must go to

work to earn a living for the family. What are the children doing?

As a parent or as a teacher I may find strength in knowing that

the Holy Spirit, the

Parakletos

who stands beside me, is my

Helper alerting me to the plans of Satan. Through Him I can be

made aware of the dangers or temptations facing those for

whom I am responsible. I can take wise measures to counteract

the influence of the enemy.

The Holy Spirit is also an influence that radiates from my

person when I have been long on my knees. Like a subtle

perfume that fills the room, He enters the classroom with me.

His presence surrounds the pulpit when I preach or lead the

Sabbath School. The home is different when I'm there, if the

Spirit dwells within me.

"Ministers and teachers, let your work be fragrant with rich

spiritual grace. . . .

" ... God's Spirit will be with us, making us pure and holy, as

upright and fragrant as the cedar of

Lebanon."—Testimonies,

vol.

7, pp. 251, 252.

"If the teacher has the love of Christ abiding in the heart as a

sweet fragrance, a savor of life unto life, he may bind the chil-

dren under his care to himself."—Counsels

to Teachers,

p. 197.



THINK IT THROUGH



"The springs of heavenly peace and joy, unsealed in the soul

of the teacher by the magic words of Inspiration, will become a

mighty river of influence, to bless all who connect with him."—

Counsels to Teachers,

p. 171.



FURTHER STUDY



Counsels to Teachers,

pp. 357-361.

100

The Holy Spirit as an Educator

LESSON 12



❑

Wednesday

September 13



Part 4



How complete would be the scope of the Spirit's teaching?

GUIDE TO



ALL TRUTH



"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear

them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will

guide you into all truth" (John 16:12, 13).

Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" But he did not wait for the

answer.

In everyday life we can say that a verbal statement is true when

it is conformable to fact, conformable to nature or to reality. Our

hearing communicates to us a message that conforms to what

our other senses—sight, touch, taste, smell—tell us.

We also speak of a

true

copy when it conforms to the original,

a true

weight when it conforms to a standard, and of a

true

likeness when it conforms to a pattern.

Spiritual truth also involves conformity or agreement. We

hear or read verbal statements regarding good or evil in human

conduct. What would our senses tell us about such values if

those senses could penetrate the barriers of time and space and

allow us to see everything as God does?

The Spirit of truth is to guide Christians into

all

truth. We can,

through Him, penetrate the barriers of time and space. Spirit-

inspired faith is the radar which penetrates the fog and reaches

out to reveal the rocky coastline. It enables us to steer a true

course to the safety of the harbor. Our verbal statements to

others will conform to the invisible facts. Others will not be

misled or shipwrecked.

To educate, in the transitive sense of the verb, is to provide

guidance in the student's spontaneous search for truth.

Jesus, even amid the agonies of five successive trials and

facing the final torture of the cross, was seeking to provide such

guidance to Pilate. "Pilate had a desire to know the truth.... He

eagerly grasped the words of the Saviour, and his heart was

stirred with a great longing to know what it really was, and how

he could obtain it.... But he did not wait for an answer."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 727.



THINK IT THROUGH



Do I really want to know the whole truth? If so, how can I go

about attaining it?

"A knowledge of the truth depends not so much upon

strength of intellect as upon pureness of purpose, the simplicity

of an earnest, dependent faith. To those who in humility of heart

seek for divine guidance, angels of God draw near. The Holy

Spirit is given to open to them the rich treasures of the

truth."—Christ's Object Lessons,

p. 59.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 669-672.

101

The Holy Spirit as an Educator.

LESSON 12



❑

Thursday

September 14

Part 5

CHANGED BEHAVIOR

THROUGH

THE SPIRIT

THINK IT THROUGH

What freedom do I obtain through being educated by the

Holy Spirit?

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me

free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).

Law, in nature, is a consistent relationship between cause

and effect. The passage of Romans 8:1-16 contrasts two ways of

life, walking after the flesh and walking after the Spirit. The

walk, or way of behaving, is the effect which follows after the

cause or motivating force.

This conflict was a very real one to Paul: "I delight in the law of

God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members,

warring against the law of my mind" (Rom. 7:22, 23). It made him

very miserable until Christ freed him.

Meade McGuire, a veteran youth leader in the Seventh-day

Adventist Church, used to compare the two natures in man to

two fighting dogs that are frequently in conflict with each other.

If both dogs are fed well and in good health, there will be a

horrendous fight every time they face each other. But suppose

that for two weeks one dog was starved and the other fed. There

wouldn't be much of a fight. And if the process were continued

consistently for three months, there would be no fight at all. One

dog would be dead.

The trouble with most unhappy Christians is that they keep

throwing scraps to the carnal nature, enough to keep it alive and

full of fight. They're always on the fence, too saintly to be happy

at a dance, and too worldly to be happy at a prayer meeting.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are

in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit"

(Rom. 8:1).

The freedom obtained by the power of the Holy Spirit is

similar to that of the barge salvaged from the bottom of the

Hudson River. Its cargo made it worth salvaging, but screaming

winches strained unsuccessfully as experienced engineers

sought to raise it from where it was stuck in the muck. Finally a

young engineer had a chance to try his ideas. At low tide he

harnessed cables from the barge to a score of pontoons floating

on the river above. As the tide came in, effortlessly and silently,

the strength of the ocean pulled by the moon freed the barge

and its cargo from the filthy bottom of the river.

FURTHER STUDY



Counsels to Teachers,

pp. 363-366.

102

The Holy Spirit as an Educator

LESSON 12



❑

Friday

September 15

Part 6

INSIGHT INTO

THE FUTURE

What special insight can the Christian have, thanks to the

ministry of the Holy Spirit?

"Whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will

shew you things to come" (John 16:13).

The Holy Spirit, a divine Person and one of the Trinity, is

Himself unlimited by time or space. Through His guidance He

enables man to break through the barriers of time and space in

his search for truth.

In parts 3 and 4 of this lesson we have seen how the Spirit

makes Christ omnipresent and breaks the barrier of space that

might separate man from Christ and from the universe of truth.

Let us now consider how the Holy Spirit, through His teach-

ing, enables man's mind to break through the barrier of time to

know the future. "He will shew you things to come."

This is especially important to our understanding of lessons

13 and 14, which deal with events still future, revealed to us

through Spirit-inspired messengers of God.

What have been the two great pillars around which Bible

prophecy has centered? 1 Peter 1:9-11.

Using another metaphor, the prophecies of Christ's suffer-

ings and the glory that should follow are like parallel threads of

crimson and gold, running from Genesis to Revelation. The

sufferings relate to His first advent—the humble birth, the sac-

rificing life, the crucifixion. The glory that should follow in-

cludes, perhaps, the resurrection and ascension, but focuses

more clearly on the second advent and the eternal glory of the

Messianic kingdom. Read the whole chapter and renew the

"lively hope" we Christians have.

What assurance has Peter sought to give us regarding the

reliability of the Spirit-inspired promises on which we base our

hope for the future? 2 Peter 1:19-21.

Peter has referred to "exceeding great and precious prom-

ises" in verse 4. He himself promises the Christian an abundant

entrance into the everlasting kingdom (verse 11). His own im-

mediate future, not a pleasant one, has been foretold by Jesus

(verse 14; compare John 21:18), and he is ready. Now he urges

Christians not to be shortsighted as they plan for the future

(verses 9, 10), but puts them "in remembrance" (verses 12, 13,

15). With his own eyes he had seen the glory of the transfigura-

tion. But "more sure" than the testimony of his own eyes is the

word of prophecy, as the divine is more sure than the human!

Memorize this thrilling passage!

FURTHER STUDY



Counsels to Teachers,

pp. 369-373.

103

"At that time shall Michael stand up,

the great prince which standeth for the

children of thy people: and there shall

be a time of trouble, such as never was

since there was a nation even to that

same time: and at that time thy people

shall be delivered, every one that shall

be found written in the book."

"And they that be wise shall shine as

the brightness of the firmament; and

they that turn many to righteousness

as the stars for ever and ever" (Dan.

12:1, 3).

At the end of a course or a

curriculum there is usually a test or

examination to see if the product of

education stands up under trial, such

as responding correctly without the

aid of textbooks or the support of

friendly promptings.

The end of time of earth's history is

the culmination of at least seven great

prophecies of Daniel and the

Revelation.

Among the vignettes that portray

events and conditions immediately

preceding the dawn of eternity are

three of special interest to some Bible

students. These passages focus their

attention on the changes God effects

in human character to restore it to the

likeness of the.divine, changes which

make education synonymous with

redemption. The three vignettes are:

(1) the first four verses of Daniel 12; (2)

the 144,000 "companions of the Lamb"

in Revelation 7; and

(3)

the "saints" of

Revelation 14.

1. The angel messenger to Daniel

made special reference to those "that

be wise," and to those who "turn

many to righteousness," and to their

reward at the resurrection. The King

James Version marginal readin& says,

"They that be teachers shall shine as

the brightness of the firmament."

Some versions incorporate this

reading into the text. Parents and

teachers of Christian truth should be

encouraged as they read these verses.

The "brightness" of their shining

appears to be the joy of seeing their

work favorably evaluated in the

success of their students, whom they

have turned to righteousness, and

who have now triumphed over trial in

the time of trouble.

The 144,000 are sealed in their

foreheads during the time in which the

angels are holding back the winds of

strife between the sixth and seventh

seal (Revelation 7). Thisgroup is

identified in Revelation 14 as being

without fault before God. They sing a

special song that no one else can

learn, and have the special privilege of

following the Lamb "whithersoever he

goeth." This week's lesson examines

evidence for believing that they have

developed a character (represented by

the seal in the forehead) that

encompasses more than their

distinctive obedience to the fourth

commandment. Their experience is

one of obedience to God's holy law.

They are the ultimate fruitage of God's

patient educative procedure in

restoring in man the image of his

Maker. The evaluation has been made

before the gaze of the onlooking

universe.

The role of the children and youth

in the final work of the gospel, both

past and future, places them among

the saints who "keep the

commandments of God, and the faith

of Jesus." And certain phrases of the

messages of the three angels imply the

transformation of the whole

man—head, heart, and hand—that is

associated, by definition, with

Seventh-day Adventists' philo'sophy of

education. The children of our homes

and schools are to be among those

who stand the test and are not found

wanting, because they are covered

with the righteousness of Christ.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Three Final Messages

(Rev. 14:6-9)

The First Angel

(Rev. 14:7)

The Second Angel

(Rev. 14:8)

Third Angel and Loud Cry

(Rev. 14:9-12)

The Time of Trouble

(Dan. 12:1)

Companions of the Lamb

(Rev. 14:3-5)

LESSON 13 September 17-23

13. Evaluation in the

Testing Time

Evaluation in the Testing Time

LESSON 13



❑

Sunday

September 17

Part 1

THREE FINAL

MESSAGES

What did John the revelator see just prior to the coming of

the Son of man?

"I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the

everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the

earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and

people.... And there followed another angel.... And the third

angel followed them" (Rev. 14:6-9).

The first angel's message proclaimed the everlasting gospel

with urgency because the hour of God's judgment had come.

(The work of Joseph Wolff in Asia and Africa; of Bengel, Irving,

Drummond, Farel and Gaussen in Europe; of Miller, Nimes,

Bates, and many others in America constituted such a message.

Miller, especially, focused on the exact time, based on Daniel

8:14.)

The second angel's message announced the fall of Babylon;

and Fitch (see part 3) recognized this fall in the rejection by

popular churches of the first angel's message in 1842-1844.

The third angel's message draws attention to the mark of the

beast (easily contrasted with the seal of God in Revelation 7).

Our pioneers saw the counterpart of this message in their re-

newed discovery of the Sabbath and its proclamation beginning

in 1844 at Washington, New Hampshire, and in an organized

way in 1846. They saw Sabbath keeping versus Sunday keeping

as outward, visible marks of allegiance to God's law or to the

enemy of God's law, and of the characters that result from these

respective allegiances.

The final proclamation of the gospel seems to polarize the

population of the world, cutting across families and friendships.

Immediately following the three angels' proclamation, the Son

of man comes (Rev. 14:14); the grain is harvested (verses 15,

16), and the grapes are trodden in the winepress of God's wrath

(verses 17-19). Each kind of plant has produced its natural

fruitage, the fruit is ripe, and evaluation is made on the basis of

that fruitage (Matt. 7:16-20).

Parts 2 and 3 of this lesson examine some relations of the

three messages on one hand to the children and youth, and to

educational concepts of the advent movement on the other.

"I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, giving no

countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith

of the body. God looked upon them with approbation. I was

shown three steps—the first, second, and third angels' mes-

sages. Said my accompanying angel, 'Woe to him who shall

move a block or stir a pin of these messages. The true under-

standing of these messages is of vital importance. The destiny

of souls hangs upon the manner in which they are

received.'

"—Early Writings,

pp. 258-259.

FURTHER STUDY



Early Writings,

pp. 256-258.

106

Evaluation in the Testing Time

LESSON 13



❑

Monday

September 18



Part 2



What three commands or exhortations were to implement

THE FIRST the special proclamation of the everlasting gospel by the first

ANGEL angel?

"Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judg-

ment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth,

and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (Rev. 14:7).

The transformation of the entire life by the gospel is especially

urgent because the hour of the judgment has come. Notice that

there is a certain parallelism between these three commands

and the threefold aspects of a balanced education in restoring

man to the image of his Maker.

Ps. 111:10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis-

dom" (mind).

1 Cor. 6:20: "Glorify God in your body" (body).

John 4:23: "Worship the Father in spirit" (spirit).

The involvement of the whole man in the final polarization of

humanity for God or for the enemy of God is also implied in

phrases of Revelation 7 and 14 regarding the seal of God and

the mark of the beast. Every person is to receive either God's

seal in the forehead, or the mark of the beast in the forehead or

hand. God's seal applies only to the condition of heart and

mind. The beast's mark applies to either heart and mind or to

outward conformity.

Children and youth were involved in the proclamation of the

first angel's message in Europe. Farel and Gaussen addressed

themselves to the children in taking the gospel to Geneva,

hoping through them to reach their parents. (See

The Great

Controversy,

p. 365.) In more recent times the starting of a

school for children and youth has been the spearhead for pre-

senting the message in places like the Columbian Islands in the

Caribbean, and in Mexico City. Language schools have served a

like purpose in Japan and Korea and other places. Vacation

Bible Schools for children are based on a similar rationale. Of

Gaussen, on the page referred to above, Ellen White says: "The

effort was successful. As he addressed the children, older per-

sons came to listen. The galleries of his church were filled with

attentive hearers. Among them were men of rank and learning,

and strangers and foreigners visiting Geneva; and thus the

message was carried to other parts."

The child preachers of Scandinavia were also used by God in

proclaiming the first angel's message.



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 364-367.

107

Evaluation in the Testing Time

LESSON 13



❑

Tuesday

September 19



Part 3



What was the message of the second angel?

THE SECOND



ANGEL



"There followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is

fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of

the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (Rev. 14:8).

Adventists early applied this prophecy to their own work of

warning the world about Christ's coming. In 1843 Charles Fitch

wrote, "If you are the true ministers of Christ,

come out of

Babylon,

and no longer be opposed to the coming of Christ."

Joshua Himes also phrased an appeal in the language of the

second angel's message. "In May, 1847, two years and six

months after the disappointment, there was issued a pamphlet

A Word to the 'Little Flock.' . . .

In the main, the pamphlet is the

work of young James White, in which . . . we find the first

published reference to the third angel's message, in his

'Thoughts on Revelation 14.' "—A. W. Spalding,

Origin and

History of Seventh-day Adventists

(Washington, DC: Review

and Herald Publishing Association, 1961), pp. 175, 177.

Most Seventh-day Adventists do not realize how strongly

James White felt about applying the second angel's message to

the children of the church. Witness this statement made in the

church paper of which he was editor and publisher:

"We as a people hold that it is necessary to separate ourselves

from the world and the fallen churches, lest their associations

becloud our minds and destroy our faith. This we regard as a

scriptural position, and the only safe position for Christian men

and women in these perilous times. God's word has required

Christians in all past time to separate themselves from the

world; but how much more is this the duty of Christians in this

corrupt age. If this be our duty, then we have a duty to do in this

respect to our children. Shall we come out of Babylon, and leave

our children behind? Shall we send them where is seen the

boldest imprint of the filling up of the cup of her fury? Take care

brother, sister, lest you call down upon your own heads, the

displeasure of God, and the blood of your children. Separate

your children from the world. Like Israel, gather them into your

dwellings, and strike your door-posts with blood, for the de-

stroying angels will soon be on their way, to 'slay utterly old and

young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come

not near any man upon whom is the mark.' "—James White,

Review and Herald,

August 30, 1857, p. 125.



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 381, 382, 390.

108

Evaluation in the Testing Time

LESSON 13



❑

Wednesd

September 20

Part 4

THIRD ANGEL

AND LOUD CRY

What is the third angel's message? Rev. 14:9-12.

The mark of the beast stands in contrast to the seal of God.

(See Revelation 7.) The seal of God's authority in His law, giving

His name, title, and jurisdiction is found in the fourth com-

mandment. But the seal is broader; it includes the whole god-

like character of those who are obedient to His law.

What repetition of the three angels' messages is expected

with great power before the end of time?

"After these things I saw another angel come down from

heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with

his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,

Babylon the great is fallen.... And I heard another voice from

heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not

partakers of her sins, and that ye may receive not of her

plagues" (Rev. 18:1-4).

"The light that was shed upon the waiting ones penetrated

everywhere, and those in the churches who had any light, who

had not heard and rejected the three messages, obeyed the call

and left the fallen churches.... The third message was to do its

work; all were to be tested upon it. . . . A compelling power

moved the honest, while the manifestation of the power of God

brought a fear and restraint upon their unbelieving relatives and

friends so that they dared not, neither had they the power to,

hinder those who felt the work of the Spirit of God upon

them."—Early Writings,

p. 278.

The work of devout and consecrated church school teachers

will find its true test of success under similar circumstances:

"In the closing scenes of this earth's history many of these

children and youth will astonish people by their witness to the

truth, which will be borne in simplicity, yet with spirit and power.

They have been taught the fear of the Lord, and their hearts have

been softened by a careful and prayerful study of the Bible. In

the near future many children will be endued with the Spirit of

God, and will do a work in proclaiming the truth to the world,

that at that time cannot well be done by the older members of

the church.

"The Lord would use the church school as an aid to the

parents in educating and preparing their children for this time

before us. Then let the church take hold of the school work in

earnest and make it what the Lord desires it to

be."—Counsels

to Teachers,

pp. 166, 167.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, p. 203.

109

Evaluation in the Testing Time

LESSON 13



❑

Thursday

September 21

Part 5

THE TIME

OF TROUBLE

THINK IT THROUGH

What does Daniel say will come upon the earth at the time

when Michael stands up?

"There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since

there was a nation even to that same time" (Dan. 12:1).

"The 'time of trouble, such as never was,' is soon to open

upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now

possess and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often

the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but

this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presenta-

tion cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of

trial, every soul must stand for himself before God."—The

Great

Controversy,

p. 622.

Adventist theology distinguishes between a "little time of

trouble" before the close of probation, and the "time of Jacob's

trouble" during the outpouring of the seven last plagues, in

which God's people will live without an intercessor. Their an-

guish at that time is not due to physical suffering or persecution

so much as their search for assurance of acceptance with God.

What example in the writings of Paul helps us to understand

what these difficult times will mean to believers? 1 Cor. 3:9-15.

Just as examination day reveals what a student has ac-

complished during the term, it also reveals something about the

work of the teacher.

Dokimazd,

the Greek word translated

"trial" in the above text is also used of the testing of gold. The

assayer's test requires great heat to melt the ore and separate

the fine metal from the dross.

"Before the overflowing scourge shall come upon the dwell-

ers of the earth, the Lord calls upon all who are Israelites indeed

to prepare for that event. To parents He sends the warning cry:

Gather your children into your own houses; gather them away

from those who are disregarding the commandments of God,

who are teaching and practicing evil. Get out of the large cities

as fast as possible. Establish church schools. Give your children

the word of God as the foundation of all their education."—

Testimonies,

vol. 6, p. 195.

"If ever we are to work in earnest, it is now. The enemy is

pressing in on all sides, like a flood. Only the power of God can

save our children from being swept away by the tide of evil. The

responsibility resting upon parents, teachers, and church

members, to do their part in co-operation with God, is greater

than words can express."—Counsels

to Teachers,

p. 166.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 201-203.

110

Evaluation in the Testing Time

LESSON 13



❑

Friday

September 22



Part 6



"They sung as it were a new song before the throne, and



COMPANIONS



before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn

OF THE LAMB that song but the hundred and forty four thousand, which were

redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not

defiled. . . . These are they which follow the Lamb whither-

soever he goeth.... In their mouth was found no guile: for they

are without fault before the throne of God" (Rev. 14:3-5).

The 144,000 have the special honor of constantly following

the Lamb. Only they, of the human race, have lived through the

time of trouble foretold in Daniel 12:1, the time Michael stands

up to leave His ministry in the•heavenly sanctuary. They have

washed their robes in Christ's blood and held fast to His truth.

(See

Early Writings,

p. 17.)

What a special privilege it will be to be among those who

participate in the final demonstration to the universe that the

plan of redemption is effective, that God's holy law can indeed

be kept by created beings! And what a special satisfaction it will

be for parents and teachers of those who form part of this

special group to see that their influence has by the grace of God

been successful!

"We must preach on the subject of the 144,000. The topic

must be given a larger place in our thinking and in our speaking.

It is not necessary that we enter the field of controversy that has

caused so many to avoid more than a simple mention of this

special group. (1) We may remain within the realm of that which

has been revealed and preach frequently on the kind of charac-

ter that will be possessed by each of the 144,000. We may deal

with the steps in the preparation of that translation character.

(2) Much has been revealed concerning the experience of the

144,000 just before the second Advent, during the seven last

plagues and the time of Jacob's trouble. How to prepare for that

time is pointed out. These things must be preached. (3) Revela-

tion has made plain that the religious beliefs of the 144,000 will

be free from erroneous teachings. We must instruct our people

in how to test their beliefs and become established on a firm

foundation. (4) Another clear point is that Satan, personally, and

through the beast, has had a special controversy with the

144,000, and they have come off victorious. We must lead our

people into the kind of experience that will withstand all the

onslaughts of the evil one. (5) A little insight is given into the

special reward that is to be theirs."—T. H. Jemison, in

Our Firm

Foundation

(Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing

Association, 1953), vol. 2, p. 407.



FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons, "Go

Into the Highways and Hedges,"

pp. 222-224.

111

14. Forever Improving

LESSON 14 September 24-30

"There shall be no night there; and

they need no candle, neither light of

the sun; for the Lord Godgiveth them

light: and they shall reign for ever and

ever" (Rev. 22:5).

A college senior, about to graduate,

had just attended a panel discussion

by six first-year teachers who had

recently been students in education

like himself. "Now I begin to know

what education is all about," he said to

a carload of educational

superintendents. "That's why

graduation is called commencement,"

someone countered, and they all

laughed. After a lifetime in education,

each of his fellow passengers

wondered if they really knew what it

was all about.

"Those who are seeking to acquire

knowledge in the schools of earth

should remember that another school

also claims them as students,—the

school of Christ. From this school the

students are never

grad uated

."—Fundamentals of

Christian Education,

pp. 543, 544.

One of the beauties of Christian

education is that it deals not only with

the whole man (physical, mental,

spiritual) but with the whole period of

existence accessible to man—eternity.

Limitless possibilities! World without

end!

R. L. Sharpe, in

The Best Loved

Poems of the American

People

(Garden City, NY: Garden City

Publishing Co., 1936), page 99, has left

us a few lines that highlight the

endless opportunity each of us

faces:

"Isn't it strange

That princes and kings,

And clowns that caper

In sawdust rings,

And common people

Like you and me

Are builders for eternity?

Each is given a bag of tools,

A shapeless mass,

A book of rules;

And each must make—

Ere life is flown—

A stumbling block

Or a steppingstone."

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Again With the Master

(John 14:1-3)

Jesus' Prayer Answered

(John 17:24)

New Heaven and New Earth

(Rev. 21:1-4)

"Taught of the Lord"

(Isa. 54:11-13)

Planting, Building, and Music

(Isa. 65:21-23)

The Story of Redemption

(Rev. 5:8-14)

Forever Improving

LESSON 14



❑

Sunday

September 24



Parl 1



What Indication is there that Jesus expected His students to



AGAIN WITH



continue with Him beyond the three and one half years of



THE MASTER



instruction He gave them on earth?

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe

also In me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if It were

not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and

receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may

also" (John 14:1-3).

The final chapter of Ellen White's book

Education,

entitled

"The School of the Hereafter," contains this thought: "The life

on earth is the beginning of the life in heaven; education on

earth is an initiation into the principles of heaven; the lifework

here is a training for the lifework there. What we now are, in

character and holy service, is the sure foreshadowing of what

we shall be."—Page 307.

A veteran Adventist educator summarizes today's priorities in

education in terms of the brevity of life, comparing it with the

brevity of Jesus' three and one half years with His disciples.

When I was 20, and had 50 years to go out of the 70 the

psalmist accepts as the measure of life's span (Ps. 90:10), I had a

long list of things I wanted to do in life. Some of them were

adventures of the physical domain—mountain climbing, travel,

sailing, flying, water-skiing. Others were intellectual in

nature—things I had only tasted of in secondary and higher

education and wished to explore with ample time and

resources—the calculus, chemistry, statistics, five or six lan-

guages instead of two.

Now that the figures have been reversed, with more than 50

years gone and even less than 20 to go, the satisfaction of the

accomplishments is tinged with the solemn realization that

life's agenda is ever longer as the time grows shorter. Cecil

Rhodes is said to have exclaimed on his deathbed, "So much to

do—so little time in which to do it." That's how I would feel if it

weren't for the confident expectation of being admitted to the

school of the hereafter, where I can enroll at leisure in a 3000-

year course in chemistry, or 5000 years In church history.

Jesus had only three and one half years for the education of

His disciples. He knew how to set up His priorities. "The things

of this life He placed in their true relation, as subordinate to

those of eternal interest."—Education, p. 82.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 301-304.

114

Forever Improving

LESSON 14



❑

Monday

September 25



Part 2



What was the burden of Jesus' intercessory prayer to His

JESUS' PRAYER Father?

ANSWERED

"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be

with me where l am; that they may behold my glory, which thou

hast given me: for thou Iovedst me before the foundation of

the world" (John 17:24).

"Now is fulfilled the Saviour's prayer for His disciples: 'I will

that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I

am.' Faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding

joy' (Jude 24), Christ presents to the Father the purchase of His

blood, declaring: 'Here am I, and the children whom Thou hast

given Me.' Those that Thou gayest Me I have kept.' Oh, the

wonders of redeeming love! the rapture of that hour when the

infinite Father, looking upon the ransomed, shall behold His

image, sin's discord banished, its blight removed, and the

human once more in harmony with the divine!"—The

Great

Controversy,

p. 646.

Ellen White continues describing Jesus'"class reunion" with

His followers: "With unutterable love, Jesus welcomes His faith-

ful ones to the joy of their Lord. The Saviour's joy is in seeing, in

the kingdom of glory, the souls that have been saved by His

agony and humiliation. And the redeemed will be sharers in His

joy, as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been

won to Christ through their prayers, their labors, and their

loving sacrifice. As they gather about the great white throne,

gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts, when they behold

those whom they have won for Christ, and see that one has

gained others, and these still others, all brought into the haven

of rest, there to lay their crowns at Jesus' feet and praise Him

through the endless cycles of eternity."—The

Great Con-

troversy,

p. 647.

In lesson 12 we saw that the Holy Spirit gave the disciples their

"in-service training," which enabled them to accomplish their

life work.

But beyond all this lies the unhurried atmosphere, the reflec-

tive thinking, the polish that characterizes graduate study.

Jesus, while still on earth, wanted to take His disciples beyond

this world's cares and limitations to experience His glory. He

would be not only the Author but the Finisher of our faith.



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 304-309.

115

Forever Improving

LESSON 14



❑

Tuesday

September 26

Part 3



What beautiful promise do we have in the last two chapters

NEW HEAVEN of the Bible that indicate it is God's plan to restore the Eden

AND NEW EARTH school described in the first two chapters?

"I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven

and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more

sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming

down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for

her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell

with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall

be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all

tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,

neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more

pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:1-4).

(Read also Rev. 22:1-7.)

The restoration of Eden includes a restoration of the "school

in a garden" on which attention was focused in the first lesson

of this quarter. This is the thought expressed in the final chapter

of the book Ellen White wrote, under divine inspiration, while

nurturing the infant Avondale College in Australia. While the

wind rustled in the gum trees and the kookaburra filled the

dawn with its far-reaching, inimitable call, she penned:

"Heaven is a school; its field of study, the universe; its

teacher, the Infinite One. A branch of this school was estab-

lished in Eden; and, the plan of redemption accomplished,

education will again be taken up in the Eden school.

" 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into

the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them

that love Him.' 1 Corinthians 2:9. Only through His word can a

knowledge of these things be gained; and even this affords but

a partial revelation."—Education, p. 301.

There will be similarities, yes, but also contrasts:

"Between the school established in Eden at the beginning

and the school of the hereafter there lies the whole compass of

this world's history—the history of human transgression and

suffering, of divine sacrifice, and of victory over death and sin.

Not all the conditions of that first school of Eden will be found in

the school of the future life. No tree of knowledge of good and

evil will afford opportunity for temptation. No tempter is there,

no possibility of wrong. Every character has withstood the test-

ing of evil, and none are longer susceptible to its power."—

Education,

pp. 301, 302.

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 662-665.

116

Forever Improving

LESSON 14



❑

Wednesday

September 27

Part 4

"TAUGHT OF

THE LORD"

What promise did the Lord make about Judah's children

after the captivity?

"0 thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted,

behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy

foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of

agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of

pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the

Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children" (Isa.

54:11-13).

The antecedent of

thou

and

thy

in this promise is found in

verses 1 to 10. The promise is spoken to the barren woman who

was to enlarge her tent and strengthen her stakes. She is mar-

ried to her Maker, whose kindness will never more depart from

her though the mountains and the hills be removed. She is

God's people in ancient Judah and secondly God's church

today.

Ellen White has depicted for us the Lord's teaching of each

child of the church:

"Not until the providences of God are seen in the light of

eternity shall we understand what we owe to the care and

interposition of His angels. Celestial beings have taken an ac-

tive part in the affairs of men. They have appeared in garments

that shone as the lightning; they have come as men, in the garb

of wayfarers. They have accepted the hospitalities of human

homes; they have acted as guides to benighted travelers. They

have thwarted the spoiler's purpose and turned aside the stroke

of the destroyer.

"Though the rulers of this world know it not, yet often in their

councils angels have been spokesmen. Human eyes have

looked upon them. Human ears have listened to their appeals. In

the council hall and the court of justice, heavenly messengers

have pleaded the cause of the persecuted and oppressed. They

have defeated purposes and arrested evils that would have

brought wrong and suffering to God's children. To the students

in the heavenly school, all this will be unfolded.

"Every redeemed one will understand the ministry of angels

in his own life. The angel who was his guardian from his earliest

moment; the angel who watched his steps, and covered his

head in the day of peril; the angel who was with him in the valley

of the shadow of death, who marked his resting place, who was

the first to greet him in the resurrection morning—what will it be

to hold converse with him and to learn the history of divine

interposition in the individual life, of heavenly co-operation in

every work for humanity!"

—Education,

pp. 304, 305.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 387, 388.

117

Forever Improving

LESSON 14



❑

Thursday

September 28



Part 5



What was to be the relation of Judah to physical labor in the

PLANTING, restored earth?

BUILDING,



AND MUSIC



"They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall

plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build,

and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for

as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect

shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour

in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the

blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them" (I sa.

65:21-23).

"In the earth made new, the redeemed will engage in the

occupations and pleasures that brought happiness to Adam

and Eve in the beginning. The Eden life will be lived, the life in

garden and field. [Isa. 65:21, 22,

quoted]."—Prophets and

Kings,

pp. 730, 731.

What other activities will be part of the school of the hereaf-

ter? Rev. 15:2, 3.

"There will be music there, and song, such music and song

as, save in the visions of God, no mortal ear has heard or mind

conceived. . . .

"There every power will be developed, every capability in-

creased. The grandest enterprises will be carried forward, the

loftiest aspirations will be reached, the highest ambitions

realized. And still, there will arise new heights to surmount, new

wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to

call forth the powers of body and mind and soul.

"All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of

God's children. With unutterable delight we shall enter into the

joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. We shall share the

treasures gained through ages upon ages spent in contempla-

tion of God's handiwork. And the years of eternity, as they roll,

will continue to bring more glorious revelation."—Education,

p. 307.

Don't you think these activities will include many of the

branches of secular knowledge in search of which men have

vainly sacrificed their lives on earth? Physics and biology, food

chemistry, statistical inference, ancient history, and linguistics

may yield their secrets to minds refreshed by eating the fruit of

the tree of life. And the class bell will not interrupt the inquisitive

spirit in its search. Time as well as space will take on new

dimensions.



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 674, 675.

118

Forever Improving

LESSON 14



❑

Friday

September 29

Part 6

THE STORY OF

REDEMPTION

What will be the subject of the study of the redeemed

throughout eternity?

"I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about

the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of

them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of

thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that

was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and

strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every

creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the

earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,

heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be

unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for

ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four

and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for

ever and ever" (Rev. 5:11-14).

The redeemed have learned, by their own painful experience,

the evil of sin, its power, its guilt, its woe; and they look upon it

with abhorrence. Their perception of the infinite sacrifice by

which they have been rescued from sin's awesome grip hum-

bles them in their own sight and fills their hearts with gratitude

and praise that those who have never fallen cannot appreciate.

"They love much because they have been forgiven much. Hav-

ing been partakers of Christ's sufferings, they are fitted to be

partakers with Him of His glory."—The

Great Controversy,

p. 650.

"In the plan of redemption there are heights and depths that

eternity itself can never exhaust, marvels into which the angels

desire to look. The redeemed only, of all created beings, have in

their own experience known the actual conflict with sin; they

have wrought with Christ, and, as even the angels could not do,

have entered into the fellowship of His sufferings; will they have

no testimony as to the science of redemption—nothing that will

be of worth to unfallen beings?

"Even now, 'unto the principalities and the powers in the

heavenly places' is 'made known through the church the man-

ifold wisdom of God.' And He 'hath raised us up together, and

made us sit together in heavenly places: . . . that in the ages to

come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His

kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.' Ephesians 3:10, R.V.;

2:6,

7."—Education,

p. 308.

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 676-678.

119

Sabbath School members who have not received a copy of the Adult

Lessons for the fourth quarter of 1978 will be helped by the following out-

line in studying the first two lessons. The title of the series is THE HOLY

SPIRIT.

First Lesson

THE PERSONALITY AND DIVINITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Memory text, John 14:17.

1. The Personality of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 2:11; 12:11)

2. Evidences of the Spirit's Personality (Rom. 8:26)

3. The Spirit of God at Creation (Gen. 1:1, 2)

The Triune God (Matt. 28:19)

The Spirit as God (Acts 5:3, 4)

The Divine Ambassador (Eph. 4:4-6)

Second Lesson

THE HOLY SPIRIT SYMBOLIZED IN SCRIPTURE. Memory text, John 3:8.

1. Dove, Comforter, and Eye of God (John 1:32)

2. Water (John 7:37-39)

3. Oil and Unction (Matt. 25:1-4)

4. Seal and Guarantee (2 Cor. 1:22)

5. Light and Fire (John 1:9)

6. Wind (John 3:8)

Lessons in Braille

The regular Adult Sabbath School Lessons are available free each month in

Braille and 16

rpm records to blind and physically handicapped persons

who cannot read normal inkprint. This includes individuals who because of

arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, accidents, old age, and so forth,

cannot hold or focus on normal inkprint publications. Contact the Christian

Record Braille Foundation, Box 6097, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506.

lbday's inspiration

for tomorrow's leaders.

Young people are the

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They will be responsible for

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INSIGHT and GUIDE, our

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Good investments make

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And considered it his best

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When the Sabbath School

offering is received this

week, before you give,

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invested his whole life. Ca

you think of a better

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Open Heart

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Hardback price, $12.95.

Two new releases by well•known Bible scholars

Order from your local Adventist Book Center or ABC Mailing Service, P.O. Box 37485,

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

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Population



Churches Mamba's Members

Parane School

Tanzania

East Megan

29102.000

622

119,101

220,651

Ethiopian

27,600.000

29,198

62,653

Middia East

170.750.000

3.565

3.083

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14,320,000

229

36.240

50,993

DIVISION TOTALS

246,272,000

967

188,127

337,365

(Noma as of ncr Quarter, 1977)